George Washington was president of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the U.S. Constitution.
Delegates met in Philadelphia from May to September 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first national governing framework of the United States. Instead, they produced an entirely new Constitution. Washington, already celebrated as the Continental Army’s commander, was unanimously chosen to preside over the convention.
Washington rarely dominated debates, but his presence gave the proceedings authority and helped maintain order. James Madison played a major role in preparing plans and recording debates, while Benjamin Franklin was one of the convention’s elder statesmen. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
Washington later became the first president under the Constitution, serving from 1789 to 1797. That later office can cause confusion with his convention role. John Adams was not a delegate because he was serving as the U.S. minister to Great Britain. The convention’s work created the federal structure that followed the Revolutionary era commemorated by America250.