Fifty-five delegates attended the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
The convention met from May 25 to September 17, 1787, at the Pennsylvania State House. Delegates came from twelve states, while Rhode Island chose not to send representatives. The meeting was originally called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but it produced an entirely new constitutional framework instead.
The figure of 55 refers to delegates who participated at some point during the convention, not to the number who signed the final Constitution. Only 39 delegates signed on September 17. Some delegates left before the closing session, and George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign.
The convention’s membership included George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and other prominent political figures. The delegates debated representation, executive power, slavery, taxation, and the balance between state and federal authority.