Delegates met in Philadelphia for the 1787 Constitutional Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution.
The convention assembled at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Although the meeting was initially called to revise the Articles of Confederation, delegates ultimately designed an entirely new framework of government.
George Washington presided over the proceedings. The delegates debated representation, executive power, taxation, slavery, commerce, and the balance between state and national authority. Many negotiations produced compromises, including the Great Compromise that created a two-house Congress.
Philadelphia had already hosted the Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence debates. Its role in both the Revolutionary era and the constitutional settlement made it a central founding city, though New York City became the first national capital under the new Constitution.