Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution was written and signed in 1787, on September 17. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The Constitution is a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states and is the supreme law of the land.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | May 25 to September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia |
| Number of delegates | 38 |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
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What You'll Learn
The Philadelphia Convention
The convention was held in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. General George Washington, a proponent of a stronger national government, was unanimously elected as the president of the convention. The delegates in attendance represented a wide range of interests and views, and they came together to craft a powerful central government with a system of checks and balances.
While the original intent of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, leading proponents like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton sought to create an entirely new framework of government. Madison, who played a key role in setting the convention's agenda, had studied historical republics and confederacies, including ancient Greece and contemporary Switzerland. He proposed the Virginia Plan, which served as the basis for the new government, featuring three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
The convention's discussions and votes were kept secret, and the windows of the meeting hall were even nailed shut to ensure privacy. Despite the secrecy, James Madison's "Notes on the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787" provide a detailed first-person account of the proceedings. The delegates in attendance grappled with complex issues, facing opposition from Anti-Federalists who argued that the new Constitution created a powerful central government that lacked a bill of rights.
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The Constitutional Convention
The Articles of Confederation had established a weak central government with limited powers, and the country was facing challenges in conducting foreign policy and managing disputes between states. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young nation was on the brink of collapse. They played a key role in convincing Congress to organize the Constitutional Convention, with Madison arriving 11 days early to set the agenda.
The convention was attended by delegates from 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island being the only state that refused to send delegates. The delegates were chosen by their respective state legislatures, and they met in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall. The convention was presided over by George Washington, who was unanimously elected as its president.
The initial mandate of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates quickly began considering measures to replace them. Several proposals were discussed, including the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan, proposed by delegates from Virginia, called for a bicameral (two-house) Congress, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judicial branch. It was ultimately selected as the basis for the new government.
The delegates debated various issues, including the role of the executive, the powers of the central government, slavery, and the insertion of a fugitive slave clause. They created a model of government with a system of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The convention culminated in the drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution, which was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, with an additional signature added for an absent delegate from Delaware, bringing the total to 39.
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The Committee of Style and Arrangement
The committee's draft was adopted with little debate, but questions have since been raised about whether Morris covertly made changes to the text to advance his constitutional vision. Indeed, he made a series of subtle changes that his fellow delegates either missed or considered stylistic, which furthered goals that he had not been able to achieve through floor votes. One of the most prominent examples of this is the change he made to the Preamble, where he altered the opening line from "We the People of the States of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts," etc., to "We, the People of the United States," thus emphasising the unity of the nation.
Morris also reorganised the structure of the Constitution to give equal weight to the three branches of the national government: the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. In the draft approved by the delegates before the Committee of Style began its work, Congress was the subject of seven articles, while the executive and judiciary were each limited to one article. Morris devised the now-familiar framework of Article I (Congress), Article II (executive), and Article III (judiciary), conveying the equality of the three branches.
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The signing of the Constitution
The convention was tasked with revising the existing government, but the delegates ultimately created a new form of government, replacing the weak central government established by the Articles of Confederation. The delegates, representing wildly different interests and views, crafted compromises to create a powerful central government. The Constitution's main provisions include seven articles that define the basic framework of the federal government, including the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
Despite the objections, a motion to sign the document was made and approved by 10 of the state delegations. Of the 41 men in the room, 38 signed the document, with George Read signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. William Jackson, the group's secretary, also signed to attest to the Constitution's authenticity. The signing of the Constitution marked a significant step in the creation of a bold, new government for the United States, laying the foundation for a more perfect union.
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The printing of the Constitution
The printing of the United States Constitution was undertaken by John Dunlap and David Claypoole, the Constitutional Convention's printers. Dunlap and Claypoole had been printing for Congress since 1775 and were designated as its official printer in 1778. During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, they printed 820 draft copies and 500 final copies at a total cost of $420.
On August 4, 1787, John Dunlap received the first draft of the Constitution from the Committee of Detail for printing as a seven-page broadside. Copies of this first draft exist in the separately collected papers of the Convention, James Madison, and David Brearley. In early September, the Constitution was referred to the Committee of "Stile and Arrangements" for revisions, with new copies of this second draft printed on September 12.
On September 15, the Convention, with its business concluded, ordered a printing of 500 copies of the third and final draft, to be dated September 17, 1787, when the Convention's proceedings and its engrossed Constitution were to be signed. The printed and engrossed versions were identical, except for interlineations. Dunlap and Claypoole produced 500 copies of a six-page broadside with Caslon small-pica type.
The first public printing of the Constitution was published in The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1787, by John Dunlap and David Claypoole. There are 12 remaining complete final printings (and one incomplete) of the Constitution known to exist. The final printings were rarely auctioned in the 200 years since their printing. In 2024, a copy of the official edition endorsed by the Congress of the Confederation was auctioned off for $9 million.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in 1787.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia, at what is now known as Independence Hall.
To remember the year the Constitution was written, you can think of it as the same year as the end of the Philadelphia Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787.
