Friends of the Constitution: Writings of the “Other” Federalists, 1787-1788

Madison was a member of the Virginia legislature in 1776-80 and 1784-86, of the Continental Congress in 1780-83, and of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he earned the title “father of the U. S. Constitution.”

Hamilton was secretary and aide-de-camp to Washington in 1777-81, a member of the Continental Congress in 1782-83 and 1787-88, a representative from New York to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, first U. S. secretary of the treasury in 1789-95, and inspector general of the army, with the rank of major general, from 1798 to 1800.

Jay was a member of the Continental Congress in 1774 through 1779 and its president in 1778-79, drafter of New York’s first constitution in 1777, chief justice of the New York supreme court from 1777 to 1778, U. S. minister to Spain in 1779, a member of the commission to negotiate peace with Great Britain in Paris in 1787, U. S. secretary of foreign affairs from 1784 to 1789, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1789 to 1795, and governor of New York from 1795 to 1801.

Smith, of New York, was a member of the Continental Congress (1785–88), and of the New York State Convention, in which he initially opposed ratification of the new Constitution.

Wilson signed the Declaration of Independence and was twice elected to the Continental Congress. He played a leading role in the drafting of the US Constitution and eventually became one of the six original justices appointed by George Washington to the United States Supreme Court.

Sherman was the only founder to sign the Articles of Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.