Click here<\/strong><\/a> for a link to the cover letter which was addressed to the President of Congress, Arthur St. Clair. The cover letter was prepared for Washington\u2019s signature by the same \u201cCommittee of Style\u201d that prepared the penultimate draft of the Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\nOn the final day of the Constitutional Convention, the delegates famously lined up to sign the Constitution on 17 September 1787. Although their work in Philadelphia was concluding, the next chapter in the national saga was just beginning. At this point the Constitution was merely a proposal. It would need to be ratified by nine states before it could take effect among the ratifying states.<\/span><\/p>\nBeginning on September 19th<\/sup> the cover letter, the Constitution and the ratification resolutions (or \u201c5th<\/sup>page\u201d) were printed in approximately 100 newspapers around the country. When the Constitution was first released to the public, the widely disseminated cover letter was commonly printed together with the Constitution.\u00a0 Due to the relative brevity of both documents, they fit together in a single issue of the four-paged newspapers of the day. As the Constitution was a legal text, the cover letter helped explain the work and objectives of the Constitutional Convention. While most newspapers printed the cover letter below the Constitution, in several cases the cover letter was printed above<\/em> the Constitution, as it helped introduce the Constitution to the public.<\/span><\/p>\nAccording to Professor Robert Rutland, \u201c[n]othing similar to this had ever occurred before and has never happened since\u2014a whole nation invited, and even encouraged, to read the entire Constitution.\u201d In her book\u00a0Brilliant Solution<\/em>, Carol Berkin wrote that \u201c[t]he letter was the committee\u2019s gift to their fellow delegates – a preemptive strike against the local critics they would have to face when they returned home.\u201d The Center for the Study of the American Constitution explains that \u201c[t]he importance of Washington\u2019s letter of 17 September 1787 as president of the Convention to the president of Congress cannot be over emphasized.\u201d In a sentence repeatedly quoted throughout the ratification debate, Washington described the proposed Constitution as \u201cthe Result of a Spirit of Amity and of that mutual Deference & Concession which the Peculiarity of our political Situation rendered indispensible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nWe fully understand that it may be difficult to include the cover letter in the exhibit which opens on September 16. Nevertheless, perhaps it might be added to the online exhibit or included in an exhibit next year beside our cherished Constitution.<\/span><\/p>\nWe are happy to answer any questions about the cover letter or our humble request.<\/span><\/p>\nWe have the honor to be your most faithful servants,<\/span><\/p>\nWilliam B. Allen, PhD (Michigan State University Emeritus Dean and Professor)<\/span><\/p>\nRobert J. Allison, PhD (Professor of History, Suffolk University)<\/span><\/p>\nJ. Jackson Barlow, PhD (Director, Program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Juniata College)<\/span><\/p>\nRebecca Brannon, PhD (Professor of History, James Madison University)<\/span><\/p>\nRichard Brookhiser (historian, biographer, journalist)<\/span><\/p>\nAndrew H. Browning, PhD (author of\u00a0The Panic of 1819<\/i>, Schools for Statesmen<\/i>, and\u00a0R<\/em>escuing the Republic<\/i>)<\/span><\/p>\nDenver Brunsman, PhD (Department of History Chair, George Washington University)<\/span><\/p>\nTodd Estes, PhD (Professor of History, Oakland University)<\/span><\/p>\nMichael J. Faber, PhD (Department of Political Science, Texas State University)<\/span><\/p>\nJonathan Gienapp, PhD (Associate Professor of History and Law, Nehal and Jenny Fan Raj Civics Faculty Fellow in Undergraduate Teaching, Stanford University)<\/span><\/p>\nJohn Herzog (Retired Wall Street Executive, Board Member & Assistant Treasurer, Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society)<\/span><\/p>\nPeter Charles Hoffer, PhD (Distinguished Research Professor, University of \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Georgia)<\/span><\/p>\nCalvin H. Johnson, JD (Andrews & Kurth Centennial Professorship in Law, University of Texas at Austin School of Law)<\/span><\/p>\nJohn P. Kaminski, PhD (Center for the Study of the American Constitution, Editor, \u00a0 Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution<\/em>)<\/span><\/p>\nStephen F. Knott, PhD (U.S. Naval War College, retired)<\/span><\/p>\nEdward L. Larson, PhD (Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law, Pepperdine University)<\/span><\/p>\nRichard Leffler, PhD (Center for the Study of the American Constitution, Deputy Director and Co-Editor Emeriti, Documentary History of the Ratification of the Constitution)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nAdam P. Levinson, Esq. (Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, Scholarly Fellow; Statutesandstories.com, Founder)<\/span><\/p>\nStuart Leibiger, PhD (Department of Humanity & Society Chair, La Salle University)<\/span><\/p>\nCharles T. Long, PhD (Emeritus Faculty, George Washington University)<\/span><\/p>\nMariana Oller, MA, MS (Associate Curator of Special Collections, Wellesley College, Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, Chair)<\/span><\/p>\nThomas Oller, PhD (Senior Lecturer, Boston University, Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, Vice Chair)<\/span><\/p>\nRosalind Remer, PhD (Senior Vice Provost, Libraries, Collections & Archives Founding Director, Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships; Chair, Board of Managers, Lenfest Institute for Journalism; Vice-chair, American Antiquarian Society; Senior Advisor, A-Mark Foundation)<\/span><\/p>\nTimothy R. Schantz (Advisory Board member, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives; member of the Board of Councilors of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Co-Chair of the HSP Milestones Committee)<\/span><\/p>\nAndrew M. Schocket, PhD (Bowling Green State University)<\/span><\/p>\nJason Sharples, PhD (Florida Atlantic University)<\/span><\/p>\nColleen Sheehan, PhD (Arizona State University)<\/span><\/p>\nMark Shubert (Incorporator and Chair of Tarpeia)<\/span><\/p>\nDavid J. Siemers, PhD (Distinguished Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh)<\/span><\/p>\nWilliam M. Treanor, PhD (Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Constitutional Law and Constitutional History; Dean Emeritus, Georgetown)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0Sergio Villavicencio (Vice President, Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society)<\/span><\/p>\nJohn R. Vile, PhD (Dean and Professor of Political Science, Middle Tennessee State University)<\/span><\/p>\nGreg Weiner, PhD (President, Assumption University; Professor of Political Science)<\/span><\/p>\nMelvin Yazawa, PhD (Professor Emeritus, The University of New Mexico)<\/span><\/p>\nAdditional names to be added (To add your name to the signature list, kindly email adam@statututesandstories.com<\/strong> or john.kaminski@wisc.edu<\/strong>)<\/span><\/p>\nSample statements in support of the friendly suggestion to include the cover letter in the current (or a future) exhibit:<\/span><\/p>\n“Naturally, I agree that the cover letter should be included in the display. It’s an integral part of the Convention’s report as it bookends with the Preamble in explaining the purpose of the Constitution and even goes beyond the Preamble in explaining how the Convention went about its business. Furthermore, the cover letter played a critical role in the ratification of the Constitution.” \u00a0[John P. Kaminski, Center for the Study of the American Constitution]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cTell them this was the header on George Washington\u2019s email; they should show it too.\u201d [Richard Brookhiser]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI ENDORSE WHOLE HEARTEDLY THE PROPOSAL THAT THE \u201cTRUE STORY\u201d OF THE ADOPTION BE FULLY TOLD!\u201d \u00a0[William B. Allen, Emeritus Dean and Professor, Michigan State University]<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n“Of course, I’d like to see the cover letter included — and perhaps a newspaper copy from a newspaper printing both the cover letter and the Constitution on the same page would be better than a broadsheet copy because it would underscore how the two documents went out and were received together. The draft manuscript could also be included along with the newspaper copy.\u201d \u00a0[Edward J. Larson, Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law, Pepperdine University]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n“I agree that the Cover Letter addressed to the Confederation Congress, drafted by Gouverneur Morris and signed by George Washington as Convention President, should be included in the exhibit. The Constitutional Convention chose to send this beautifully written and powerfully argued Cover Letter to Congress–instead of sending an address to the American people–to accompany the completed and signed Constitution.” \u00a0<\/span>[Stuart Leibiger, Department of Humanity & Society Chair, La Salle University]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI absolutely agree that the letter should be included in the exhibit; the letter is practically a part of the Constitution that the Convention adopted, and it was seen as important at the time by both proponents of the Constitution and the opposition.\u201d [Michael J. Faber, Associate Professor, Texas State University]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe letter to Congress is one of only two examples of Washington opening his mind about the draft constitution (the other is in convention, when he supported a change from forty to thirty thousand for the House of Representatives). It urges opponents and proponents alike to moderation in their arguments, and sympathetic engagements with those who disagree.\u00a0 Including the letter is an important step in understanding the minds of the Constitution’s framers.\u201d [J. Jackson Barlow, Charles A. Dana Professor of Politics, Emeritus, Juniata College]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe transmittal letter that the Convention sent Congress along with the Constitution itself has appropriately been styled the Constitution’s cover letter because it explains what the convention was trying to do in drafting the Constitution. It is the only official statement of the Convention about their work. Even more than the treasured fifth page of the Constitution you are\u00a0 including, it was a critical part of the ratification process and would be a wonderful addition to the display.\u201d [<\/strong>William M. Treanor, PhD, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Constit<\/strong><\/span>utional Law and Constitutional History; Dean Emeritus, Georgetown Law]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe letter was the committee\u2019s gift to their fellow delegates – a preemptive strike against the local critics they would have to face when they returned home.\u201d [<\/strong>Carol Berkin, Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, Baruch College & The Graduate Center, City University of New York]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cI agree wholeheartedly that the transmittal or cover letter should be included with the other materials. It is important for many reasons, not the least of which is that it describes the spirit of amity, deference, and mutual concessions as having been crucial to the success of the Convention and also, by extension, suggests how the American people should understand the Constitution and also implies that the same approach might be productive in the forthcoming project of ratification.\u201d [Todd Estes, Professor of History, Oakland University]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe cover letter is a remarkable document that deepens our understanding of the<\/span> Convention’s work and the pivot to the ratification debates when the fate of the Constitution remained so uncertain. Including it will enhance public understanding.\u201d [Jonathan Gienapp, Associate Professor of History, Stanford University]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n“It was absolutely necessary for the Constitution to be approved UNANIMOUSLY. Yet unanimity alone would not have been as impactful, as decisive, without the endorsement of George Washington, who had recused himself from the forthcoming ratification process. It was Washington\u2019s endorsement that added weight to the aura of unanimity, and he expressed it in the letter now known as the Cover Letter of the Constitution. That letter is among the most consequential documents in the nation\u2019s history and deserves to be displayed not only in future iterations of this exhibit, but permanently by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.” [Sergio Villavicencio, Vice President, Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cThe Cover Letter is a necessary addition to the exhibit on display. It is a primary document which shows, in part, the civic philosophy of our founding, namely the social contract theory. A concept which permeates the work of the founding generation from Thomas Paine’s Common Sense to the Declaration of Independence but has since been forgotten in modern times. The civic philosophy of the founders must be rediscovered for us to reevaluate and use to keep the republic going. Displaying the Cover Letter will garner curiosity in Americans to ask about what the founders believed and whether their beliefs are applicable today.\u201d [Mark Shubert, Incorporator and Chair of Tarpeia]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u201cThe cover letter very much ranks among America\u2019s founding documents. Today, as we look back on a Constitution venerated in the Madisonian style, it is easy to forget that, in the fall of 1787, its adoption was no sure thing. The measured and thoughtful manner in which the cover letter framed the ratification debate that ensued was essential to the success that followed.” [Greg Weiner, President, Assumption University; Professor of Political Science]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n“The inclusion of the cover letter is an excellent, I would say a necessary, thing to do. The letter’s expression of the need to add to the powers of the general government, for a separation of those powers, the call to the people and the states to give up some “share of Liberty to preserve the rest,” and the “Spirit of Amity” and the “Deference” that animated the delegates to the Convention are so essential to understanding the origins of the Constitution and the long success of the United States that they demand presentation to the people who view this exhibit.”<\/span> [Richard Leffler, Center for the Study of the American Constitution]<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhile the cover letter is largely unknown today, it was widely cited during the late 18th and 19th centuries.\u00a0Its message and themes continued to resonate post ratification, particularly during times of crisis. In particular, the cover letter\u2019s \u2018spirit of amity\u2019 and \u2018mutual deference and concession\u2019 would be invoked by multiple presidents, including George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.\u201d [Adam P. Levinson, Esq., Gilder Lehrman Scholarly Fellow]<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-17-at-12.07.55\u202fPM.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 Dear Colleague Letter to be sent to the National Archives\u00a0 September 15, 2025 Dear National Archives: As Constitution Day…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17726"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17726"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17726\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18096,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17726\/revisions\/18096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17726"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17726"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17726"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}