James Wilson (1742-1798) was a framer who helped design the U.S. Constitution and explained its principles as an orator, a professor, and a Supreme Court Justice. Born in Scotland, Wilson studied Scottish philosophers like David Hume and Adam Smith while at universities around the country. After immigrating to America, he distinguished himself in the study and practice of law. In this period Wilson published a pamphlet titled, “Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority of the British Parliament,” arguing that any parliamentary decision concerning the colonies passed without representation from the colonies was illegitimate. Pennsylvania sent Wilson as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, where he advocated and voted for the Declaration of Independence. Wilson was later sent to the Constitutional Convention, where he was one of the most prominent voices, frequently arguing for a popular vote to elect most offices. He was one of the chief architects of Article II of the United States Constitution, which establishes the Executive Branch. He continued to expound the principles of the Constitution as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court and then as the first professor of law at what is now the University of Pennsylvania.