Which 1787 convention drafted the U.S. Constitution, a founding milestone preceding America250?

The Constitutional Convention drafted the U.S. Constitution, a founding milestone preceding America250.

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 system of government.

George Washington presided over the convention. Delegates debated representation, executive power, slavery, taxation, and the balance between state and national authority. Major compromises included the bicameral Congress created by the Great Compromise and the method for counting enslaved people for representation and taxation.

The delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. It became effective after New Hampshire provided the ninth ratification on June 21, 1788, and the new federal government began operating in 1789. The convention’s work remains central to the founding history remembered by America250.