Who was elected president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

George Washington was elected president of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

Delegates selected Washington unanimously on May 25, 1787, when the convention organized in Philadelphia. His reputation as commander of the Continental Army and first president of the Continental Congress gave him unusual authority among delegates from different states.

Washington generally spoke less often than many other delegates, but he presided over the debates and helped maintain order. The convention eventually replaced the Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution that created a stronger federal structure.

Washington’s role at the convention was separate from his later role as the first president under the Constitution. He did not draft the document alone; James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton, and many other delegates contributed to its contents. The convention’s work became one of the central institutional achievements of the founding era celebrated by America250.