Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00819

Author/Creator: Butler, Pierce (1744-1822)

Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Type: Various

Date: 1787

Pagination: 26 items

Summary of Content: This collection of Pierce Butler’s papers from the Constitutional Convention of 1787 provides unique views of the various conflicts that permeated the Constitutional Convention, while bringing to life the process of creating the United States Constitution. , , The text of all Constitutional Convention manuscripts in the Pierce Butler papers is printed in James Hutson’s article, ”Pierce Butler’s Records of the Federal Constitutional Convention,” in Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress, 37:1 (Winter 1980): 64-73.

People: Butler, Pierce, 1744-1822.

Historical Era: The New Nation, 1783-1815

Keywords/Subjects: US Constitution, US Constitutional Convention, Government & Civics, Law

Sub Era: Creating a New Government

Background: Signer of the U.S. Constitution., The retained papers and notes from the Constitutional Convention made by South Carolina delegate Pierce Butler, including the printed first and second drafts of the Constitution. These materials are extremely rare since proceedings were kept secret and delegates were urged to destroy their notes. Most of our knowledge of the Convention come from James Madison’s notes of speeches. This collection of documents includes two privately printed drafts of the Constitution from the Committees of Detail (August 6, 1787) and Style (September 12, 1787) with Butler’s written comments. , The Butler archive has two small notebooks of proceedings, from 30 May to 16 July which contain the opening resolution and comments from Elbridge Gerry, James Wilson and James Madison, GLC 819.04; and from 16 June to 5 July which contain comments of John Delancey, William Paterson, Edmund Randolph, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, Madison, William Williams, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, GLC 819.09. According to James H. Hutson, Butler’s disjointed and laconic notes are frequently confused because of his habit of arguing with speakers. , The archive also contains contemporary clerical copies of the Virginia (or Randolph) Plan favoring larger states in Congress, GLC 819.06; the New Jersey (or Patterson) Plan, favoring smaller states, GLC 819.07 and .08 (in Butler’s hand); Hamilton’s plan for a bicameral legislature and permanent executive, GLC 819.10; and Franklin’s compromise, GLC 819.11., Although he did not play a prominent role in the Convention, Butler faithfully served the interests of his state’s slave-owning planters. He introduced the Constitution’s clause for returning fugitive slaves on 29 August, although the archive’s preliminary draft, GLC 819.17, is not in his handwriting. Indeed, as Hutson notes, the archive suggests that Butler, known later as a staunch Federalist, may have been a closet Anti-Federalist. Most telling is a draft resolution in his handwriting which (according to Madison) was never proposed to the Convention, but almost certainly circulated privately among the delegates: ”Resolved therefore that it is the opinion of this Convention that the Security of equal liberty and general welfare will be best preserved and continued by forming the states into three Republicks distinct in their Governments but United by a Common League Offensive and Defensive.”, The last item in this collection relates to South Carolina rather than the Convention. , The manuscript materials in the Pierce Butler collection were partially published in James Hutson’s article (below). According to Hutson, Max Farrand discovered the collection but died before he could publish the materials., References, James H. Hutson. ”Pierce Butler’s Records of the Federal Constitutional Convention.” Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress, 37:1 (Winter 1980): 64-73.

LOC Search Terms: United States. Constitution., United States. Constitutional Convention (1787)., United States. Constitutional Convention (1787)--Archives. , Constitution--United States., United States. Constitution--Signers., United States--History, 1783-1815.