Philadelphia hosted the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a milestone remembered during America’s 250th anniversary.
Delegates met from May to September 1787 inside the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. Although the meeting was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, delegates ultimately drafted an entirely new Constitution creating a stronger federal government.
George Washington presided, James Madison kept influential notes, and compromises addressed representation, taxation, slavery, and executive power. The convention’s secrecy allowed delegates to negotiate, though the resulting document still required ratification by the states.
Philadelphia had already hosted the Continental Congress and the 1776 independence debate, making it a central location in the founding era. The Constitution was signed there on September 17, 1787, before ratification by the required ninth state in 1788.