Philadelphia hosted the Constitutional Convention that produced the U.S. Constitution before the America250 anniversary.
Delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House, the same building in which the Declaration of Independence had been debated and adopted in 1776. The convention began on May 25, 1787, and continued through September 17, when the Constitution was signed.
The meeting was originally called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but delegates instead designed an entirely new framework for the federal government. Major debates concerned representation, executive power, taxation, commerce, and the relationship between states and the national government.
Philadelphia was the United States capital under the Confederation during the convention era. The Constitution later created a federal district for the permanent capital, which eventually became Washington, D.C. Independence Hall remains a major site connected with both founding documents.