For America250’s constitutional history, 39 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Fifty-five delegates attended the Constitutional Convention at some point, but only 39 placed their names on the final document. Three delegates who remained at the convention refused to sign.
The delegates represented twelve states because Rhode Island declined to send representatives. George Washington, the convention’s presiding officer, signed the Constitution, as did Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and other prominent figures.
The number 39 is distinct from the 55 delegates who attended and from the 74 people originally selected to attend. It is also unrelated to the 56 people traditionally counted as signers of the Declaration of Independence.