Vital Statistics

Biography

Roger Sherman was the embodiment of Yankee pragmatism and political skill. He holds the unique distinction of signing all four great state papers of the U.S.: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. At the Convention, his crowning achievement was forging the 'Great Compromise,' the deal that created a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state. It was a masterstroke of practical statesmanship that saved the Constitution and the Union.