Who presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution?

George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in 1787.

The convention met in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Washington was chosen as its presiding officer because of his national reputation, military leadership during the American Revolutionary War, and standing among delegates from different states. He generally did not lead the debates, but he enforced orderly procedure and gave the proceedings legitimacy.

The convention’s delegates revised the weak national system created by the Articles of Confederation. Their work produced a federal government with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Thirty-nine delegates signed the finished Constitution on September 17, although not every delegate supported the final document.

Washington later became the first president of the United States under the Constitution. His convention role is distinct from James Madison’s: Madison was a major intellectual contributor and kept extensive notes, while Washington served as chair. Benjamin Franklin was another prominent delegate but did not preside.