Jacob Shallus
Encyclopedia
Jacob Shallus was the engrosser or penman
of the original copy of the United States Constitution
. The handwritten
document that Shallus engrossed is on display at the National Archives Building
in Washington
.
Shallus was a Pennsylvania
n of Dutch ancestry. He was born a year after his father Valentine immigrated to Pennsylvania and was a volunteer in the Revolutionary War
. During the war Shallus fought in Canada
and became a quartermaster
of Pennsylvania's 1st Battalion. Shallus also assisted in the outfitting a a privateer
ing vessel, the Retrieve. At the time of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Shallus served as Assistant Clerk to the Pennsylvania General Assembly
, which met at the Pennsylvania State House
(today known as Independence Hall
). The convention's desire for speedy drafting and Shallus' convenience to the convention's meeting may have influenced his choice as engrosser.
Shallus' name appears nowhere on the document itself, but an investigation into the identity of the Penman in 1937 for the 150th anniversary of the Constitution revealed the identity of the transcriber. Shallus was paid $30 for his engrossing work, a sum recorded as for "clerks employed to transcribe
& engross." The effort consisted of copying the Constitution of four sheets of vellum
parchment
, made from treated animal skin and measuring approximately 28 inches (71.1 cm) by 23 inches (58.4 cm), probably with a goose
quill
. Shallus engrossed the entire document except for the list of states
at the end of the document, which are in Alexander Hamilton's
handwriting.
Shallus is also credited as Assistant Secretary in the 1790 re-authoring of the State Constitution of Pennsylvania.
Shallus married Elizabeth Melchor, sister to Col. Isaac Melcher, Barrack-Master-General of the Revolutionary Army. Her obituary from the Democratic Press (Pennsylvania), Aug. 3, 1818, p. 3 notes that she was "one of those patriotic Ladies of Philadelphia who first associated together and supplied the suffering soldiers with shirts, stockings, &c. in that eventful period of the revolution, which tried and apalled [sic] even men's souls."
Penmanship
Penmanship is the technique of writing with the hand using a writing instrument. The various generic and formal historical styles of writing are called hands, whilst an individual personal style of penmanship is referred to as handwriting....
of the original copy of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. The handwritten
Handwriting
Handwriting is a person's particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with "Hand" which is an impersonal and formalised writing style in several historical varieties...
document that Shallus engrossed is on display at the National Archives Building
National Archives Building
The National Archives Building, known informally as Archives I, is the original headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration...
in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Shallus was a Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
n of Dutch ancestry. He was born a year after his father Valentine immigrated to Pennsylvania and was a volunteer in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. During the war Shallus fought in Canada
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
and became a quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
of Pennsylvania's 1st Battalion. Shallus also assisted in the outfitting a a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
ing vessel, the Retrieve. At the time of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Shallus served as Assistant Clerk to the Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
, which met at the Pennsylvania State House
Independence Hall
Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets...
(today known as Independence Hall
Independence Hall
Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets...
). The convention's desire for speedy drafting and Shallus' convenience to the convention's meeting may have influenced his choice as engrosser.
Shallus' name appears nowhere on the document itself, but an investigation into the identity of the Penman in 1937 for the 150th anniversary of the Constitution revealed the identity of the transcriber. Shallus was paid $30 for his engrossing work, a sum recorded as for "clerks employed to transcribe
Transcription
Transcription may refer to:*Transcription , a business which converts speech into a written or electronic text document*Transcription , software which helps convert speech into text transcript...
& engross." The effort consisted of copying the Constitution of four sheets of vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
parchment
Parchment
Parchment is a thin material made from calfskin, sheepskin or goatskin, often split. Its most common use was as a material for writing on, for documents, notes, or the pages of a book, codex or manuscript. It is distinct from leather in that parchment is limed but not tanned; therefore, it is very...
, made from treated animal skin and measuring approximately 28 inches (71.1 cm) by 23 inches (58.4 cm), probably with a goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
quill
Quill
A quill pen is a writing implement made from a flight feather of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen, metal-nibbed pens, the fountain pen, and, eventually, the ballpoint pen...
. Shallus engrossed the entire document except for the list of states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
at the end of the document, which are in Alexander Hamilton's
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
handwriting.
Shallus is also credited as Assistant Secretary in the 1790 re-authoring of the State Constitution of Pennsylvania.
Shallus married Elizabeth Melchor, sister to Col. Isaac Melcher, Barrack-Master-General of the Revolutionary Army. Her obituary from the Democratic Press (Pennsylvania), Aug. 3, 1818, p. 3 notes that she was "one of those patriotic Ladies of Philadelphia who first associated together and supplied the suffering soldiers with shirts, stockings, &c. in that eventful period of the revolution, which tried and apalled [sic] even men's souls."