Philadelphia hosted the signing of the United States Constitution, a landmark for America250.
The Constitutional Convention met in the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Delegates gathered there to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the first national framework used by the United States.
Philadelphia was already a major political center and had hosted the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary era. The city had also been the meeting place where the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776, creating a direct connection between the two founding documents.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates. Philadelphia did not remain the permanent national capital. The federal government operated in New York City from 1789 to 1790, then Philadelphia from 1790 to 1800, before moving to Washington, D.C. The city is therefore the signing location, not the present capital.