What 1787 Philadelphia meeting drafted the U.S. Constitution, a foundational document highlighted by America250?

The Constitutional Convention drafted the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787.

The convention met from May 25 through September 17, 1787, at the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall. Congress had authorized the gathering to revise the Articles of Confederation, but delegates soon decided that the existing system required replacement rather than limited amendments.

Twelve states sent delegates; Rhode Island declined to participate. George Washington presided, while James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and other delegates debated representation, federal powers, executive authority, and the relationship between national and state governments. The resulting Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17.

The convention did not itself make the Constitution effective. Ratification by nine states was required, and the document took effect in 1789 after New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it. Another common mix-up is calling the gathering the Second Continental Congress: that earlier body directed the Revolutionary War and approved the Declaration of Independence.