The 1787 Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the founding history remembered by America’s 250th anniversary.
Delegates gathered in the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall. The convention ran from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and ultimately produced the United States Constitution rather than merely revising the Articles of Confederation.
Philadelphia was already a major center of colonial and revolutionary politics. The Second Continental Congress had met there, and the Declaration of Independence had been adopted in the city in 1776. These earlier events helped make Philadelphia a natural meeting place for the constitutional delegates.
The convention’s location is sometimes confused with the place where the Constitution was later ratified. Ratification occurred through state conventions across the country, while the drafting and signing took place in Philadelphia. The final document was signed at Independence Hall on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates representing 12 states.