The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in 1787.
Delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was initially called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately drafted an entirely new Constitution.
George Washington presided over the meetings. Major compromises addressed representation in Congress, the relationship between state and federal power, and the counting of enslaved people for representation and taxation. The final document was signed by 39 delegates on September 17.
Philadelphia had already hosted the Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence debates. Its role in both the 1776 independence movement and the 1787 constitutional settlement makes the city especially significant in the history behind America250.