Philadelphia hosted the 1787 Constitutional Convention that created the United States Constitution.
Delegates met in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was originally called to revise the Articles of Confederation, the nation’s first governing framework, but delegates ultimately designed an entirely new constitution.
Philadelphia was already a major political center and had hosted the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary era. The city also provided the setting for the Declaration of Independence in 1776, making it central to the founding story commemorated by America250.
The convention’s delegates debated representation, executive power, taxation, commerce, and slavery. Fifty-five delegates attended at some point, and 39 ultimately signed the Constitution. Rhode Island declined to send delegates. A common mix-up is identifying New York City, which became the first federal capital under the Constitution; it was not the convention’s meeting place.