Philadelphia hosted the 1787 Constitutional Convention, a founding milestone revisited during America250.
Delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was initially called to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first governing framework of the United States, but the delegates ultimately drafted an entirely new Constitution.
George Washington presided over the convention. James Madison played a major role in preparing the Virginia Plan and recording the proceedings, while delegates debated representation, federal powers, executive authority, and the relationship between the states and the national government.
The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, though it did not take effect immediately. Ratification by the required number of states followed, and the new federal government began operating in 1789. Philadelphia’s role in both the Declaration and Constitution makes it a central location in America250’s founding-era story.