Constitutional Convention, 1787 United States Constitution. Printed Dunlap & Claypoole edition inscribed to Jonathan Williams
Order a pdf of this item here.
A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03585 Author/Creator: Constitutional Convention, 1787 Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Document signed Date: 17 September 1787 Pagination: 4 p. : [of 6] Height: 41 cm, Width: 25.5 cm Order a Copy PDF Download(s): PDF copy (image only)
One printing of the United States Constitution by Dunlap & Claypoole dated September 17, 1787. This printing of the Constitution is missing the last two pages cutting off after the second paragraph of the sixth article. It is a members printing of the Constitution by Dunlap & Claypoole, inscribed by Benjamin Franklin (as President of Pennsylvania) to Jonathan Williams Sr., a successful Massachusetts businessman and husband to Franklin's niece, Grace Harris Williams. The members printing was intended to be distributed to state governments and influential Americans. This printing incorporates a significant change in Article I, Section 2, paragraph 3 of the Constitution, which places the printing of this version after the conclusion of the convention on 17 September. The last minute revision, which was made at the suggestion of Nathaniel Gorham, delegate from Massachusetts, and supported by George Washington, President of the Convention, altered the maximum number of representatives from each state - originally one for every forty thousand-to "one for every thirty thousand."
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.