Daniel Carroll - Constitutional Convention of 1787

Constitutional Convention of 1787

Carroll was an active member of the Constitutional Convention. Like his good friend James Madison, Carroll was convinced that a strong central government was needed to regulate commerce among the states and with other nations. He also spoke out repeatedly in opposition to the payment of members of the United States Congress by the states, reasoning that such compensation would sabotage the strength of the new government because

"the dependence of both Houses on the state Legislatures would be compleat .... The new government in this form is nothing more than a second edition of Congress in two volumes, instead of one, and perhaps with very few amendments."

He wanted governmental power vested in the people, and he queffed James Wilson on his career and campaigning for popular sovereignty. When it was suggested that the President should be elected by the Congress, Carroll, seconded by Wilson, moved that the words "by the legislature" be replaced with "by the people". He and Thomas Fitzsimons were the only Roman Catholics to sign the Constitution, a symbol of the advance of religious freedom in America during the Revolutionary period.

Carroll spoke about 20 times during the debates at the Constitutional Convention and served on the Committee on Postponed Matters. Returning to Maryland after the convention, he campaigned for ratification of the Constitution, but was not a delegate to the state convention.