What 1787 gathering drafted the United States Constitution?

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 drafted the United States Constitution.

The convention met in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Delegates originally gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but they soon decided to create an entirely new framework for the national government. George Washington presided over the meetings.

Fifty-five delegates attended at least some sessions, although only 39 ultimately signed the Constitution. Important debates addressed representation, executive power, federalism, commerce, and slavery. The Connecticut Compromise helped produce a two-house Congress with a Senate based on equal state representation and a House based on population.

The convention itself did not put the Constitution into effect. That required ratification by nine states, achieved in June 1788. The new federal government began operating in 1789. The gathering is also called the Philadelphia Convention or Federal Convention, but Constitutional Convention is its standard name.