The Remarkable Influence of Whig-Clio and Princeton on the U.S. Constitution

The American Whig-Cliosophic Society is one of the oldest traditions at Princeton. The Plain Dealing Club (Whig) and the Well Meaning Club (Clio) were founded around 1765 to promote debating activities on campus. However, they developed an intense rivalry and the College dissolved them in 1769.

Nonetheless, the interest in debating by students and alumni remained and it appears that William Paterson, Class of 1763, who would later become a governor of New Jersey, and several other alumni approached President John Witherspoon to resurrect the debating societies.

The American Whig Society was founded on June 24, 1769, by several students, including two friends of James Madison 1771, Philip Freneau 1771 and Hugh Henry Brackenridge 1771. The Cliosophic Society was founded on June 8, 1770, by Nathan Perkins 1770, Robert Stewart 1770, John Smith 1770, and Isaac Smith 1770. Madison was a member of the Whigs and Aaron Burr Jr. 1772 was a member of the Clios. Clio members were usually northerners while Whigs typically same from southern states. The Whigs apparently derived their name from the “American Whig” essays by William Livingston, a trustee of the College and later the governor of New Jersey, while Clio drew its name from Paterson’s Cliosophic Address at a Commencement. Both societies were assigned rooms in Nassau Hall. Whig-Clio remains as the oldest university debating society in the United States.

Not surprisingly, many of the young graduates of the college gravitated to the patriotic activities of the emerging new nation. After the Revolutionary War ended, a series of conventions were convened and resulted in the Articles of Confederation, which were written in 1777 and ratified by the states in 1781.

The limitations of the Articles were soon recognized and an attempt to improve them was made at the Annapolis Convention in 1786.

However, the actual writing of the United States Constitution would not occur until the Second Continental Congress, held in Philadelphia in 1787. This is where the critical contributions of Whig-Clio and Princeton would shape the founding document of the new nation.

It was no surprise that when the Second Continental Congress commenced there was a lack of consensus as to what should be the structure of the new government. The Congress produced three alternatives: the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, and the Connecticut Compromise.

The Virginia Plan, written by Madison, favored the more populous states such as Virginia, proposing a bicameral legislature based on proportional representation. The New Jersey Plan, which favored the less populous states, was introduced by Paterson and advocated for a single legislative body with an equal number of representatives per state to avoid giving greater power to the larger states. In addition, it proposed the three-fifths rule, whereby three-fifths of the number of the enslaved people living in a state would be counted for the purpose of calculating its population to proportionately assess Congress’ request for funding from each state.

As the weeks passed in the summer of 1787, the Congress remained deadlocked. This caused Oliver Ellsworth 1766 to propose what would become known as the Connecticut Compromise. This proposal advocated a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house. It included the three-fifths calculation of the New Jersey Plan and, as a further compromise on slavery, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of enslaved people until 1808. The compromise was approved on July 16 by a vote of 39 to 16. The Second Continental Convention lasted almost four months from May 25 to Sept. 17, 1787. One can only imagine the intense debates that occurred that summer in Philadelphia. Undoubtedly many drafts and revisions of proposals were exchanged among the 55 attendees.

Madison assumed the preeminent role at the convention as the author of the Virginia Plan. He would become known as the “Father of the Constitution.” However, Paterson introduced the alternative New Jersey Plan and Ellsworth was one of the authors of the Connecticut Compromise.

The U.S. Constitution established the foundation of the U.S. government and its functions. The fact that the Founding Fathers, including the Princetonians, failed to adequately confront the slavery question, is a stain that remains on our nation. However, the Founders provided the framework, including the Bill of Rights, that enabled the imperfect citizenry to continue to alter the imperfect document throughout our history. The inclusion of 27 amendments in our current Constitution is a testament that it is a kinetic document, a work in progress. Its reach extends beyond our nation as it has been a model for the governance of many nations worldwide. Its principles of checks and balances remain relevant and are the underpinning of many modern governments.

The skill accrued from the debates and conversations of the Whig-Clio Society were harvested in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. Without the contributions of Princetonians — Madison, Paterson, and Ellsworth — it is unlikely that the U.S. Constitution in its present form would have been written and our country would likely have been very different. In the nation’s service, indeed.

Kevin R. Loughlin ’71 is a retired urologic surgeon. He has had a lifelong interest in American history and is writing a book on James Madison.