Important Delegates
Constitutional Convention
Name
State
Roger Sherman
CT
Oliver Ellsworth
CT
John Dickinson
DE
George Read
DE
Abraham
Baldwin
GA
Nathaniel
Gorham
MA
Elbridge Gerry
MA
Luther Martin
MD
Daniel Carroll
MD
Job during
Convention
Simulation
Presents the Great
Compromise
Characteristic of
Student
What the student turns in


Informational speech on
the Great Compromise
Presents a speech
on why the slave
trade should be
stopped
Proposing the 3/5
Compromise


Presents a speech
in favor of a
strong national
government
Presents a speech
in favor of the
Virginia Plan


Presents a speech
in favor of a
strong national
government
Presents a speech
in favor of ending
the African slave
trade
Presents a speech
in favor of more
states’ rights


Presents a speech
in favor of a
strong national
government











Good researcher
Able to discern the
main points
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Good researcher
Able to discern the
main points
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Passionate delegate
with a strong voice
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Persuasive speech on why
the slave trade should be
stopped
Informational report on the
3/5 Compromise
Persuasive speech on the
need for a strong national
government
Persuasive speech in favor
of the Virginia Plan
Persuasive speech on the
need for a strong national
government
Persuasive speech on why
the slave trade should be
stopped
Persuasive speech in favor
a state’s rights
Persuasive speech on the
need for a strong national
government
Hugh Williamson
NC
Presents a speech
in favor of
counting slaves in
terms of
representation



John Langdon
NH
Presents a speech
in favor of the
New Jersey Plan


William
Patterson
NJ
Presents the New
Jersey Plan


William
Livingston
NJ
Presents a speech
in favor of the
New Jersey Plan


Alexander
Hamilton
NY
Presents a speech
against the need
for a separate Bill
of Rights to be
added to the
Constitution



Benjamin
Franklin
PA

Gouverneur
Morris
PA



Presents a
brief
introduction to
the convention
Concludes the
convention
with a quote
(see script)
Sits with
George
Washington
Takes notes
Chimes in
when he has
an opinion
about any
issue







Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Able to see all sides
of an issue in
historical context
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Good researcher
Able to discern the
main points
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Passionate delegate
who is a strong
speaker
Articulate student
Goes by the letter of
the law
Persuasive speech in favor
of counting slaves in terms
of representation
Good role for a
student who is
independent and
works well alone
May be good for
ESOL or special
education students

Organized
Good at adlibbing
Opinionated
Well versed on all of
the issues at the
convention
Persuasive speech on an
issue being discussed
Persuasive speech on the
merits of the New Jersey
Plan
Informational speech on
the New Jersey Plan
Persuasive speech on the
merits of the New Jersey
Plan
Informational and
persuasive speech that
outlines why he believed a
Bill of Rights was not
necessary

The brief introduction as
to the purpose of the
convention
Creates a timeline of
daily events at the
convention, so he can
keep himself up-to-date
James Wilson
PA
Speaks in favor of
the 3/5
Compromise



John Rutledege
SC
Speaks in favor of
keeping the
African slave trade



Charles Pinckney
SC
Speaks in favor of
keeping the
African slave trade



James Madison
George
Washington
VA
VA
Speaks for a
separate Bill of
Rights to be
added to the
Constitution


Edmund
Randolph
VA



Presides over

the convention 
Encapsulates
some of the
arguments
before the vote

Presents the VA
Plan


Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
Able to see all sides
of an issue in
historical context
Passionate speaker
Strongly opposes
shutting down the
slave trade
Able to see all sides
of an issue in
historical context
Passionate speaker
Opposes shutting
down the slave
trade
Able to see all sides
of an issue in
historical context
Passionate delegate
who is a strong
speaker
Articulate student
Very influential
Persuasive speech on why
they should use the 3/5
compromise
A good leader
A student who keep
things moving and
be serious about
keeping things on
track
Strong student who
can help others
while they are
preparing their
speeches
Good researcher
Able to discern the
main points
Presentation for the
delegates of the convention
about parliamentary
procedure to be used. This
is the protocol for the
running of the convention.
May research Robert’s
Rules of Order although
these were not published
until about 50 years later.
Persuasive speech in favor
of keeping the African slave
trade
Persuasive speech in favor
of keeping the African slave
trade
Informational and
persuasive speech that
outlines why he believed a
Bill of Rights was necessary
Informational speech on
the Virginia Plan
George Mason
VA
Jacob Broom
DE
Nicholas Gilman
NH
Presents a
persuasive speech
in favor of the
Virginia Plan
Presents the
compromise on
slave trade
Presents a
persuasive speech
in favor of ending
the slave trade




Smaller role
Easy person to
research
Smaller role
Good researcher
since the delegate is
more obscure
 Able to discern the
main points
Smaller role
Good researcher since
the delegate is more
obscure.
Persuasive speech in favor
of the Virginia Plan
Informational speech
outlining the compromise
on slave trade
Persuasive speech in favor
of ending the slave trade
Extras
Name
State
What His Role Could Be
Robert Yates
NY
John
Lansing, Jr
NY
Left the convention early due to
disagreements. He believed that
the states are sovereign and did
not want their power to be
overrun by the national
government. Could make a
statement in disgust and storm
out of the convention during the
debate on the power of the
federal government vs. the
states’.
Left the convention early due to
disagreements. He believed that
the states are sovereign and did
not want their power to be
overrun by the national
government. Could make a
statement in disgust and storm
out of the convention during the
debate on the power of the
federal government vs. the
states’.
Pierce Butler
SC
Contradicts himself because he
had a strong sense of
nationalism, but believed that the
states were independent and
sovereign. Identify places in
script where he can interject
these contradictory statements
with clarification from the
teacher.
What They
Research
States rights’
vs. strong
national
government
What they turn
In
An informational
essay on states’
rights vs. strong
national
government
States rights’
vs. strong
national
government
An informational
essay on states’
rights vs. strong
national
government
States rights’
vs. strong
national
government
An short
informational
piece on states’
rights and one
on strong
national
government