Pennsylvania pioneered the people-elected convention as the sole constitution-making body.

Evidence

Composed of delegates from the patriot committees of every county, the Provincial Conference met for eight days in June with the stated object of “fixing on a plan for calling a convention, to form a government under the authority of the people.” Up to this point elsewhere, existing legislative bodies had written and ratified their new constitutions, but, following Paine, Philadelphia’s more radical revolutionaries argued that only the people should form a constitution, and they could do so best through a convention with members elected by voters for that sole purpose. Pennsylvania became the first state to adopt this democratic approach. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 276

Categorization

• DEFINE: Contrasts two models of constitutional authority: existing legislatures ratifying new constitutions versus specially elected conventions working from popular instruction. A useful distinction for a legal-systems course.
• XREF: Concept of the constituent assembly and popular sovereignty resonates with the founding-values material on justice, freedom, and who legitimately authorizes law. — connects to: Pennsylvania’s 1776 constitution invented the elective constitutional-amendment mechanism. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 282

Broader Connections

• Pennsylvania’s 1776 constitution invented the elective constitutional-amendment mechanism. #expands (0.85) — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 282