Vital Statistics

Biography

Gunning Bedford Jr. was the fiery champion of the small states at the Constitutional Convention. His passionate, even threatening, speeches against the domination of large states were a wake-up call to the delegates. He warned that the small states would find a foreign ally if their rights were not protected. This fierce advocacy was instrumental in the adoption of the Great Compromise, which gave each state equal representation in the Senate. Having secured that victory, he became a supporter of the new Constitution.