{"id":18276,"date":"2026-04-08T13:55:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T17:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/?p=18276"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:15:14","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T20:15:14","slug":"constitution-house-exhibit-at-the-pennsylvania-historical-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/constitution-house-exhibit-at-the-pennsylvania-historical-society\/","title":{"rendered":"Constitution House Exhibit at the Pennsylvania Historical Society"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gouverneur Morris and Mary Dalley\u2019s Boarding House (the \u201cConstitution House\u201d)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Exhibit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), April 18, 2026<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Leading members of the founding generation boarded with Miss Dalley during and after the Revolutionary War. Regrettably, history has largely forgotten Mary Dalley\u2019s enormously important boarding house. Unlike the well-known \u201cDeclaration House\u201d where Thomas Jefferson resided during the summer of 1776, until this week there are no historical markers commemorating Miss Dalley or her boarding house. This is unfortunate as the location where Gouverneur Morris resided in 1787 is likely the site where he \u201cdrafted\u201d the Preamble and the September 12th draft of the Constitution.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Gouverneur Morris is widely regarded as the \u201cPenman\u201d of the U.S. Constitution. After an exhaustive review of archival records, it can be safely concluded that Gouverneur Morris boarded with Miss Mary Dalley in the same boarding house where Alexander Hamilton and Elbridge Gerry boarded during the Constitutional Convention.<\/p>\n

Beginning in 1778 Miss Dally\u2019s name begins appearing in the correspondence and diaries of Massachusetts delegates to the Continental Congress. Her name is repeatedly mentioned in Elbridge Gerry\u2019s correspondence with his wife Ann during the summer of 1787. Newspaper ads and street directories indicated that Miss Dalley was also an entrepreneurial businesswoman and tailor. In addition to running a boarding house, in the late 1780s she also sold several varieties of imported tea from China.<\/p>\n

During the course of her hospitality career, Mary Dalley provided meals and\/or lodging for at least 15 signers of the Declaration of Independence and 12 signers of the Constitution. Her customers and guests included George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, John Jay, Robert Morris, Roger Sherman, Henry Laurens, John Trumbull, Henry Knox, Baron von Steuben, the Marquis de Lafayette, Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton (Publius<\/em>) and Elbridge Gerry (the Antifederalist Federal Farmer<\/em>).<\/p>\n

As far as can be determined, we don\u2019t have any letters written by Mary Dalley. Nevertheless, the following manuscripts located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania help paint a wonderful picture of the issues that her boarders were confronting during and after the war.<\/p>\n

HSP manuscripts on display<\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. James Duane to George Clinton<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n5 August 1777<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In 1784 James Duane became the first Mayor of New York City post-independence. In 1777 Duane was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New York who boarded with Miss Dalley. In 1777 George Clinton became the first Governor of the state of New York. Clinton would later be elected as the fourth Vice President of the United States during Thomas Jefferson\u2019s second term.<\/p>\n

Duane and his fellow New York delegates to Congress (Philip Livingston and William Duer) regularly provided updates to Governor Clinton. In this letter Duane reports that General Washington declined to appoint a successor for General Philip Schuyler. Thereafter, Congress appointed General Horatio Gates, who would go on to win the crucial battle of Saratoga. The letter was potentially drafted at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. William Whipple to Josiah Bartlett<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 14 April 1779<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

William Whipple was a New Hampshire shipper and merchant who saw action at the Battle of Saratoga. When he wasn\u2019t commanding troops, Whipple served in the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1779, becoming a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. In April of 1779 Whipple once again resided at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house while serving in Congress. Josiah Bartlett was a New Hampshire physician, politician and signatory to the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. Bartlett would later serve as a judge and governor of New Hampshire.<\/p>\n

Whipple\u2019s letter to Bartlett discusses a possible alliance with Spain. In their correspondence both Whipple and Bartlett express frustration with the length of the war. Whipple explains that he is \u201cmuch more sick to think that the Glory of America\u201d should be tarnished by the artifice of rascals who were endeavoring to frustrate the war effort. The letter was potentially drafted at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Nathaniel Peabody to Josiah Bartlett<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a0Philadelphia, 13 July 1779<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Nathaniel Peabody was a medical doctor and delegate to Congress from New Hampshire who boarded with Miss Dalley in 1779 \u2013 1780. Peabody became an Adjutant General of the New Hampshire militia and served in the state assembly. Peabody replaced Josiah Bartlett as a delegate to Congress from New Hampshire after Bartlett\u2019s resignation. In 1782 Peabody was the chair of the committee that drafted New Hampshire\u2019s second Constitution.<\/p>\n

In the July 1779 letter Peabody updates Bartlett about developments in Congress. Peabody mentions New Hampshire land grants and grievances before Congress. According to Peabody, Col. Ethan Allen has been in Philadelphia seeking admission before Congress on behalf of Vermont. Congress tabled the matter due to opposition by New York. Peabody was happy to learn that New Hampshire complied with a Congressional requisition to raise funds \u201cat this critical situation of our finances.\u201d The letter was potentially drafted at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. George Partridge to Samuel Adams<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nMarch 1780<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

George Partridge was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress and Confederation Congress from Massachusetts variously serving from 1779 \u2013 1785. When Congress resided in Philadelphia Partridge boarded with Miss Dalley. Partridge also served in the first Federal Congress. As long serving Massachusetts politicians, Partridge and Samuel Adams would have closely worked together as colleagues, as is evident in the March 1780 letter.<\/p>\n

Partridge was reaching out to Adams, after learning of Adams\u2019 reappointment as a delegate to Congress. Partridge enclosed intelligence regarding General Benjamin Lincoln\u2019s operations and military plans. Partridge attempts to coordinate travel plans as he would be returning to Boston as Adams was travelling to Philadelphia. The March 1780 letter from Partridge to Adams was potentially drafted at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Matthew Clarkson to General Benjamin Lincoln<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 17 July 1780<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Matthew Clarkson was an aide de camp for General Benjamin Lincoln and was present for Burgoyne\u2019s surrender after the Battle of Saratoga. As a member of the New York legislature in 1785, he introduced the bill for the gradual elimination of slavery in New York. Clarkson was a member of both the New York Manumission Society (NYMS) and the Pennsylvania Abolition Society (PAS). He was elected as the third President of the NYMS in February of 1791. Clarkson helped found the Free African School in New York City and served on its first board of directors. In 1780 Clarkson resided at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. After the war he served as President of the Bank of New York.<\/p>\n

In May of 1780 the British seized Charleston, one of the most decisive American losses during the war. Clarkson and Lincoln were captured along with 5,000 American troops. The letter was written after Clarkson and Lincoln were paroled and mentions the controversy over their release as part of a prisoner exchange for captured British officers. When Lincoln returned to Philadelphia he requested a court of inquiry to investigate his actions in Charleston. Validating his conduct, no charges were brought against Lincoln who returned to service as one of Washington\u2019s most trusted generals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6. Samuel Osgood to Samuel Holten<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 15 April 1782<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Samuel Osgood was a Congressional delegate from Massachusetts who likely lived with Miss Dalley beginning in 1782. At the beginning of the war he led a company of minutemen at the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775. He subsequently became an aide to General Artemas Ward, who also boarded with Miss Dalley. In 1785 Congress appointed Osgood as one of three members of Confederation\u2019s Board of Treasury. This letter was potentially written at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house when Osgood boarded with Miss Dalley. Osgood forwards a letter from Mr. Lovell, another Massachusetts delegate who had also boarded with Miss Dalley.<\/p>\n

One of the defects with the Articles of Confederation was the inability of the Confederation Congress to secure a quorum. This is evident in Osgood\u2019s letter to his former colleague which mentions the \u201csurprising\u201d news that James Lovell had left Congress \u201cto return no more.\u201d Osgood opined that Lovell\u2019s motives were justifiable considering his unspecified family situation. Further illustrating the difficulty of maintaining the Massachusetts delegation to Congress, Mr. Partridge, another Massachusetts delegate, intended to return home in May. Osgood himself hoped to \u201cleave this place in June.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Gouverneur Morris to George Washington<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 2 July 1782<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Gouverneur Morris was a Congressional delegate from New York and Constitutional Convention delegate from Pennsylvania. Morris spoke 173 times at the Constitutional Convention, more than any other delegate. Appointed to the Committee on Style and Arrangement on 8 September, Morris was selected to craft the Preamble and the final draft of the Constitution. Morris was a close confidant of Washington, as evidenced by the 109 letters from Morris to Washington in the Washington Papers.<\/p>\n

In this 2 July 1782 letter to George Washington, Morris encloses a packet of newspapers for Major General William Dalrymple, the Quartermaster of the British army. As the war was winding down the Americans and British had reached \u201can agreement\u201d in Elizabethtown, which included the exchange of newspapers. Washington regularly subscribed to a wide variety of newspapers and was well read, despite his lack of a formal education. This July 1782 letter was potentially written from Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Elbridge Gerry to Mr. Whipple<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n30 August 1782<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Elbridge Gerry was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He became the 5th<\/sup>Vice President of the United States under President James Madison. He served in the Second Continental Congress from 1776 to 1780. He agreed to return to Congress in 1783. At various times Gerry and William Whipple boarded with Miss Dalley and other Congressional delegates from Massachusetts. Whipple and his brother were New Hampshire shippers and merchants. Whipple served in the Continental Congress from 1776 to 1779 and was a signatory to the Declaration of Independence. Whipple was a hero at the Battle of Saratoga.<\/p>\n

Illustrating Gerry\u2019s deep connections to revolutionary era leaders and members of Congress, Gerry provides a letter of introduction for James Warren\u2019s son who was traveling to New Hampshire. Gerry mentions that Warren was a gentleman who \u201chas been frequently mentioned in the most respectable terms at our social interviews in Philadelphia.\u201d It is likely that these discussions (social interviews) took place at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. The letter ends with Gerry sending his best respect to Whipple\u2019s wife, \u201cyour lady & all friends.\u201d During the ratification debate, Gerry and Warren became leading Antifederalists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9. Gouverneur Morris to George Washington<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 9 October 1782<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In 1782 Gouverneur Morris was living with Miss Dalley and working as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance under Robert Morris. In this 9 October 1782 letter Morris recommends that George Washington discuss a \u201cvery interesting\u201d matter with Mr. Ogden. During the war Samuel Ogden was colonel in the New Jersey militia. He operated an iron works and was a successful businessman. Ogden married Gouverneur Morris\u2019 half-sister, Euphemia. Ogden had proposed an effort to rescue some American prisoners of war who were being housed in private dwellings in New Jersey. Washington rejected the plan that might not be entirely successful and would have jeopardized the lenient agreement that Americans had with the British in housing prisoners humanely. Is this the \u201cvery interesting\u201d matter referred to in Morris\u2019s letter? Click here for transcription.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. Alexander Hamilton to General John Cadwalader<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nPhiladelphia, 14 March 1783<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In March of 1783 while serving as a delegate to Congress Hamilton was potentially living at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house. Generals John Cadwalader and Joseph Reed were bitter rivals in Pennsylvania politics. Hamilton was asked by Cadwalader to confirm a disputed account of a conversation between Cadwalader and Reed. Both Reed and Cadwalader collected letters and affidavits about the conversation in which Reed had allegedly considered abandoning the American cause in December of 1776 when the American army retreated across the Delaware.<\/p>\n

Hamilton replied that it was \u201cdisagreeable to appear in any manner in a personal dispute, yet I cannot in justice to you refuse to comply with the request\u2026.\u201d As best as Hamilton could remember, Reed \u201cintimated that he thought it time for Gentlemen to take care of themselves and that it was unwise any longer to follow the fortunes of a ruined cause, or something of a similar import.\u201d Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
11. Mercy Otis Warren to Elbridge Gerry<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n17 May 1783<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Mercy Otis Warren is one of the most famous and outspoken founding mothers. A playwright, poet, satirist and historian, Mercy was an ardent Massachusetts patriot. She was highly critical of British policies and supported the Boston Tea Party and anti-British boycotts. After the war she became a vocal Antifederalist, writing under the pseudonym A Columbian Patriot<\/em>. Married to Massachusetts politician James Warren, the Warren home served as a hub of political and intellectual debate. Not surprisingly, Mercy regularly communicated with John and Abigail Adams among other revolutionary era leaders. For many years the authorship of Mercy\u2019s Columbian Patriot pamphlet <\/em>was wrongly attributed to Elbridge Gerry, an ally and friend of the Warren family.<\/p>\n

Mercy and Elbridge discuss possible travel plans for a \u201cyoung gentleman,\u201d the son of Mercy and James Warren, who was planning on visiting England, France, Barcelona or Lisbon. Mercy asks Gerry to confer with Robert Morris who might be influential in this regard. The friendship between the Warrens and Elbridge Gerry is evident in the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
12. Bartholomew Wistar \u2013 Oath of Allegiance<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n12 October 1784<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Bartholomew Wistar was a Quaker from a prominent Philadelphia family. Wistar owned the building where Miss Dalley operated her boarding house. As a Quaker, Wistar would have been neutral during the war. This may explain why he was required to sign the oath of allegiance. Wistar joined the Pennsylvania Abolition Society in April of 1787, the same month that Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and John Jay joined. The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia the following month, May of 1787.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13. Gouverneur Morris to Jeremiah Wadsworth<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n10 March 1786<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Gouverneur Morris began boarding with Miss Dalley in 1780. Tax rolls indicate that he also boarded with Miss Dalley in 1786. Morris served as the Assistant Superintendent of Finance under Robert Morris from 1781 to 1784. As a co-founder of the Bank of North America, Morris worked closely with Robert Morris after they left public office. Jeremiah Wadsworth was a delegate to the Confederation Congress from Connecticut in 1788. He would also serve as a Federalist in the First Federal Congress. The 10 March 1786 letter was likely written at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house in Morris\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

From 1785-1786 Wadsworth was the second President of the Bank of New York. Morris\u2019s cryptic letter discusses financial transactions relating to Robert Morris and the Board of Treasury. The first sentence of the letter mentions that an earlier letter appeared to have been opened, which may explain why the letter speaks at a high level. By 1786, Robert Morris was no longer the Superintendent of Finance of the Confederation and the letter likely reflects the friction between Morris and the three-member Board of Treasury (Arthur Lee, Walter Livingston and Samuel Osgood) which replaced him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
14. Marquis de Chastellux to Gouverneur Morris<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n16 January 1787<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Fran\u00e7ois-Jean de Beauvoir, the Marquis de Chastellux, served as a major general on Comte de Rochambeau\u2019s staff. He came to America in 1780 and served in the Yorktown campaign. He returned to France in 1783 and published his\u00a0Travels in North America in the Years 1780, 1781, and 1782.<\/em> Morris would become the American minster to France after Thomas Jefferson. The 16 January 1787 letter is remarkable as it illustrates Morris\u2019s transatlantic connections and communications in the months leading up to the Constitutional Convention.<\/p>\n

Composed in Paris, Chaustellux\u2019s letter was written in French. Although the letter has not yet been translated, it demonstrates that Morris was conversant in French, as was Alexander Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
15. Henry Knox to Gouverneur Morris<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n25 January 1787<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before the war, Henry Knox was a Boston book seller who became a leader in the Sons of Liberty. During the war he became one of George Washington\u2019s most trusted advisors and chief artillery officer of the Continental Army. He played an instrumental role in redeploying cannons from Fort Ticonderoga which forced the British to abandon Boston. He served as Secretary at War under the Confederation Congress and President Washington\u2019s first Secretary of War.<\/p>\n

This dramatic letter was written during the height of Shays\u2019s Rebellion as \u201caction was expected.\u201d Knox describes the pending defense of the \u201cmagazine at Springfield\u201d on January 25 by General William Shepard. Interestingly, Knox shares the evolving and likely sensitive plan to confront Shays\u2019s 1,500 insurgents with forces from Boston\/Weston and Worcester. The sensitive details contained in the letter include the massing of Shepard\u2019s 1,000 men \u201cin favor of government,\u201d along with General Lincoln\u2019s 2,000 troops which were enroute to protect the court of common pleas. According to Knox, the federal troops were prepared to pursue the insurgents to Hampshire County, but ultimately did not need to do so after Shepard\u2019s successful defense of the Springfield arsenal. Upon reviewing this letter, Professor Kaminski reflected on the similarities between Shays\u2019s rebellion and the British attempt to arrest Massachusetts rebels, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, at Lexington and Concord in 1775. A decade later Massachusetts was hunting its own insurgents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
16. Dr. John Jones to the Supreme Executive Council of PA<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n2 November 1787<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Although originally from New York, Dr. John Jones was a long-term boarder with Mary Dalley. He was a surgeon during the French and Indian War and became a professor of medicine at King\u2019s College in New York. After the British captured New York City, Jones joined the Continental Army as a surgeon. Jones\u2019 surgical field manual was the first medical textbook published in America and was used at battlefields throughout the war.\u00a0 Jones served as the personal physician for George Washington and Bejamin Franklin.<\/p>\n

The President of the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania served as Governor, who along with the Lt. Governor and other councilors collectively formed the executive branch of Pennsylvania\u2019s government. In 1787 Benjamin Franklin was the President of the Council and lived approximately one block away from Miss Dalley\u2019s on Market Street.<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019 petition seeks reappointment as Health Officer for Pennsylvania. Jones observes that \u201calthough an office of this kind is difficult in its nature and will or may necessarily involve in it self some groundless complaints\u201d yet Jones \u201cexertions can be well attested by a number of respectable citizens.\u201d The second page of the letter signed by approximately 30 subscribers, including Robert Morris, expressing the opinion that Jones executed his office with \u201cability and diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
17. Elbridge Gerry to John Wendell<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\nCambridge, Mass. 16 November 1787<\/span><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Elbridge Gerry was a Congressional and Convention delegate from Massachusetts. He is one of only three Convention delegates who refused to sign the Constitution on 17 September 1787. The two pamphlets signed by Federal Farmer<\/em> are widely regarded as two of most important Antifederalist essays, which debated pseudonymously with Publius<\/em> in 1787 \u2013 1788. Originally believed to have been written by Richard Henry Lee, new research demonstrates that Gerry was the Federal Farmer<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Gerry\u2019s letter dated 16 November 1787 was written approximately two months after he left Philadelphia following the Constitutional Convention. The letter is particularly significant as Gerry explains that if the Constitution were to be adopted it would be his duty to support it despite his opposition:<\/p>\n

If the new Constitution should be adopted, I shall think it my duty to support it, but as it now stands I think it neither consistent with the principles of the Revolution, or of the Constitutions of the several States, & it is condemned by the best Writers on free Governments, indeed the eastern States will soon rebel against it, for it is not a Government adapted to their Genius, Habits, or aversion to arbitrary power, but if they are of a different opinion, I have no objection to their trying on the f\u0153deral Chains, for such I am persuaded they will find the bonds of this constitution eventually to be. this entr\u00e8 nous.<\/p>\n

Click here for transcription.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Drafts of the Constitution and Federal Farmer<\/em> pamphlet<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
18. Federal Farmer pamphlets<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nNovember 1787 and May 1788<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Arguably the two most fascinating items in the entire HSP collection are James Wilson\u2019s August draft of the Constitution from the Committee of Detail and the penultimate draft prepared by Gouverneur Morris on behalf of the Committee of Style and Arrangement in September.<\/p>\n

Gouverneur Morris is widely regarded as the \u201cPenman of the Constitution\u201d for his work on the September draft. Comparing the two versions illustrates the evolution of the Constitution into its final form. Both the Committee of Detail and the Committee of Style had five members, including a representative from Pennsylvania. Wilson and Morris are believed to have worked closely together during the Convention and shared many common objectives during the ratification debate as Federalist supporters of an energetic Federal government. By contrast, Antifederalist Elbridge Gerry, the sixth most frequent speaker in the Convention, was one of only three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution on 17 September 1787.<\/p>\n

The Federal Farmer<\/em> was one of the most important Antifederalists. For many years historians assumed that Richard Henry Lee was the Federal Farmer<\/em> until Gordon S. Wood convincingly discredited the Lee attribution in 1974. Two decades later, John Kaminski floated the thesis that Elbridge Gerry was the Federal Farmer<\/em>. Recently uncovered evidence has confirmed Kaminski\u2019s thesis. As a result, it is increasingly clear that both Publius<\/em> (Alexander Hamilton) and Federal Farmer<\/em> (Elbridge Gerry) boarded with Miss Dalley at various times in 1787. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house!<\/p>\n

The eighteen letters of the Federal Farmer<\/em> were printed in two consecutively numbered pamphlets in November of 1787 and May of 1788. In many respects, the Federalist Papers<\/em> are a debate between Publius<\/em> and the Federal Farmer<\/em>. Another well respected Antifederalist author was Brutus<\/em>, who is believed to have been Melancton Smith. While there are many similarities between Federal Farmer<\/em> and Brutus<\/em>, the Federal Farmer<\/em> was more moderate, which is consistent with Gerry\u2019s public positions. A detailed discussion of Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house and the Federal Farmer<\/em> and Brutus<\/em> is available at the free history website, Statutesandstories.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
19. Photocopy of Gouverneur Morris\u2019s boarding house receipt from Mary Dalley<\/strong><\/span><\/td>\nSummer of 1787<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

While the Constitutional Convention adjourned on 17 September 1787, Gouverneur Morris continued boarding with Miss Dalley through 11 November 1787. He would subsequently travel to Virginia with Robert Morris on business. Thereafter he moved into his newly acquired estate in Morrisania, which he purchased from his half-brother.<\/p>\n

This remarkable receipt, which is held in the collections at the American Philosophical Society, provides definitive proof that Gouverneur Morris resided at Miss Dalley\u2019s boarding house during the Constitutional Convention. The receipt is signed by Miss Dalley and reflects other services that she provided including \u201cmaking stockings and mending shirts\u201d for Gouverneur.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A copy of the historic marker application to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), educational materials and cited primary sources are available at www.statutesandstories.com<\/a>, which is grateful for the editorial and research assistance of John P. Kaminski, Tim Schantz, and Eunho Jung.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gouverneur Morris and Mary Dalley\u2019s Boarding House (the \u201cConstitution House\u201d) Exhibit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (HSP), April 18,…<\/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\/18276"}],"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=18276"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18305,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18276\/revisions\/18305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.statutesandstories.com\/blog_html\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}