The United States Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.
The building was then known as the Pennsylvania State House. It had already hosted major sessions of the Continental Congress and the Second Continental Congress, including the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Its later name, Independence Hall, reflects its association with both founding documents.
The Constitutional Convention met in the building during the summer of 1787. Delegates debated representation, federal powers, executive authority, and the relationship between the states and the national government. George Washington presided over the convention, while James Madison played a major role in recording its proceedings.
Thirty-nine delegates signed the completed Constitution on September 17. Rhode Island did not send delegates to the convention, and several delegates who attended declined to sign. The Constitution still required ratification by conventions in the states before it could take effect.