Who presided over the 1787 Constitutional Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution?

George Washington presided over the 1787 Constitutional Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution.

The convention met in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Delegates initially received authority to revise the Articles of Confederation, but they soon decided to design an entirely new system of government.

Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention after Benjamin Franklin nominated him. His role was mainly to manage proceedings and lend credibility to the gathering; he rarely participated in debates. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and other delegates did most of the detailed political and legal work.

The convention ultimately created a federal government with legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Thirty-nine of the 55 delegates who attended signed the completed Constitution on September 17. Washington later became the first U.S. president under that Constitution, taking office in 1789.