The 1787 Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia and produced the United States Constitution.
Delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The meeting was originally authorized to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately designed an entirely new federal system.
George Washington was unanimously chosen to preside over the convention. James Madison’s Virginia Plan helped shape the discussion, while the Connecticut Compromise resolved the dispute over representation by creating a House based on population and a Senate with equal state representation.
The convention ended on September 17, when 39 delegates signed the Constitution. Rhode Island did not send delegates. The Constitution then went to the states for ratification and took effect after New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it in June 1788.