Gunning Bedford Jr.
Gunning Bedford Jr. (1747 – March 30, 1812) was an American Founding Father, attorney, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention who played a notable role in shaping the foundational documents and institutions of the United States. Closely associated with the state of Delaware, Bedford served as a delegate representing Delaware's interests at some of the most consequential political gatherings of the late eighteenth century, including the Congress of the Confederation and the Constitutional Convention of 1787. His legal career, military service during the Revolutionary War, and political contributions left a lasting mark on Delaware's early history and on the broader story of American constitutional development.
Early Life and Education
Gunning Bedford Jr. was born in 1747 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the fifth of seven children born into a distinguished family.[1] Despite the "Jr." appended to his name, he was not actually a junior in the traditional sense—he adopted the suffix to distinguish himself from a relative of the same name, a common practice in colonial American society.[2]
Bedford pursued higher education at Princeton College (then known as the College of New Jersey), from which he graduated in 1771.[3] Princeton was at the time one of the foremost institutions of higher learning in colonial America, and Bedford's education there would have placed him among a cohort of graduates who went on to become significant figures in law, politics, and public life. Following his graduation, Bedford pursued a career in law, eventually establishing himself as a prominent attorney.
Military Service
When the Revolutionary War broke out, Bedford joined many of his contemporaries in taking up arms in defense of the American colonies. He served during the conflict, contributing to the military effort that ultimately secured independence from Great Britain.[4] His service during this period reflects the broader commitment that shaped the generation of Founders who combined military involvement with political and legal careers in the years following independence.
Legal Career
After the Revolutionary War, Bedford established himself as a respected legal figure in Delaware. His background in law informed his approach to political questions, particularly those relating to constitutional structure, representation, and the rights of smaller states. As an attorney, he was well positioned to engage with the complex legal arguments that defined the debates of the Constitutional Convention era. His legal reputation contributed to his selection as a representative for Delaware at several critical national gatherings during the formative years of the American republic.
Political Career and the Constitutional Convention
Bedford's political career developed in close connection with Delaware's interests during the critical period of American nation-building. He served as a delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, the governing body of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, representing Delaware's voice in national deliberations before the Constitution was drafted.[5]
Bedford's most historically significant contribution came at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, held in Philadelphia. At the convention, he was a prominent advocate for the interests of smaller states, including Delaware. The central controversy of the convention involved the question of how states would be represented in the new national legislature. Larger states favored proportional representation based on population, while smaller states argued for equal representation regardless of size. Bedford was among the delegates who argued forcefully that smaller states required equal representation to protect their sovereignty and interests within the new federal framework. This debate ultimately produced the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.
Bedford's participation in these debates placed him among the key voices that shaped the final structure of the United States government. His willingness to advocate for Delaware's position, even in the face of pressure from larger and more populous states, reflected a consistent principle: that all states, regardless of size, deserved an equal footing in the national legislature.
Delaware's Ratification Convention
Following the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, the proposed Constitution required ratification by individual states before it could take effect. Bedford continued his public service by participating in this ratification process. He was elected as a New Castle County deputy to attend Delaware's Ratification Convention in 1787.[6]
Delaware's Ratification Convention is a point of particular pride in the state's history. On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution, earning it the enduring nickname "The First State." Bedford's role as a deputy at this convention placed him directly within the historic process by which Delaware became the first member of the new constitutional union. The speed and unanimity with which Delaware ratified the Constitution reflected the state's confidence in the document—a confidence that Bedford and his colleagues had helped to shape through their participation at the Constitutional Convention itself.
Continued Public Service
Bedford's commitment to public life did not end with the ratification of the Constitution. He continued a political career following the founding period, serving in various capacities that reflected his ongoing engagement with Delaware's governance and legal affairs.[7]
Among the notable subsequent chapters of his career, Bedford was appointed to serve as a federal judge. His appointment to the federal judiciary placed him among the earliest figures to serve in the judicial branch established by the Constitution he had helped to create and ratify. This transition from constitutional advocate to federal jurist allowed Bedford to apply in practice the legal principles he had debated in theory during the convention period. His tenure on the bench extended his legacy beyond the founding era and into the practical operation of the new American republic.
Legacy and Significance to Delaware
Gunning Bedford Jr. occupies a notable place in Delaware's history as one of the state's Founding Fathers and as a participant in some of the most consequential events of the American founding period. His connection to Delaware's ratification of the Constitution ties him directly to one of the state's most celebrated historical distinctions—being the first state to join the new union.
His career illustrates the interconnected roles that many Founders played across military, legal, and political spheres. Beginning with his education at Princeton, proceeding through military service in the Revolutionary War, and continuing through his legal and political work, Bedford exemplified the engaged citizen-statesman model that characterized the founding generation. His advocacy for smaller states at the Constitutional Convention also speaks to a principle that remained important in Delaware's political identity: the belief that smaller states deserve an equal voice in national affairs.
For Delaware, Bedford represents a direct human link to the constitutional founding of the United States. His presence at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, his vote to ratify the Constitution at Delaware's ratification convention, and his subsequent service as a federal judge together constitute a biography that is inseparable from the early history of both the state and the nation.
Personal Life
Bedford was born in 1747 and died on March 30, 1812, having lived through the entire revolutionary and early constitutional period of American history.[8] His life spanned from the colonial era, through revolution and nation-building, and into the early decades of the American republic. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, though his career and public legacy are most closely associated with Delaware, the state he represented at some of the most important national assemblies of his time.
See Also
- Delaware Ratification of the Constitution
- Constitutional Convention of 1787
- The First State
- New Castle County
- Delaware Founding Fathers