The Constitutional Convention first met with a quorum in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787.
Delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, intending to revise the Articles of Confederation. Once enough state delegations were present to conduct business, the convention organized itself and selected George Washington as its presiding officer.
The meeting soon moved beyond simply repairing the Articles. Delegates debated representation, executive power, taxation, federal authority, and the relationship between the national government and the states. Their work produced the United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787.
May 25 is not the same as the convention’s originally scheduled opening date of May 14. It is also distinct from September 17, the day delegates signed the finished Constitution. Rhode Island did not send delegates to the convention.