
The Founding Fathers of the United States of America were a group of 55 delegates who assembled in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 to draft the four parchment pages of the original Constitution. The Constitutional Convention was a revolution in government, with the delegates tasked with revising the existing government, ultimately creating a powerful central government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (later named Independence Hall) |
| Number of Delegates | 55 |
| Number of Signatures | 39 |
| Date | Summer of 1787 |
| Purpose | To draft four parchment pages of the original Constitution |
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What You'll Learn

The Constitutional Convention of 1787
The convention was convened due to the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. The Articles gave the Confederation Congress rule-making and funding powers but lacked enforcement mechanisms and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. This led to disputes between the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening the young nation's stability.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention represented diverse interests and views, and their task was to revise the existing government. However, they ended up creating an entirely new form of government, establishing a powerful central government while addressing concerns about centralised power. The resulting Constitution, consisting of four parchment pages, laid out the framework for the Federal Government of the United States and is considered the "Supreme Law of the Land."
The Founding Fathers who attended the convention included George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and others. These individuals held significant roles in the early US government, with Washington, Madison, Jefferson, and Adams serving as the first four presidents. The delegates ranged in age, with the youngest being 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest being the 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair due to his infirmity.
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55 delegates met in Philadelphia
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of 55 delegates or statesmen who assembled in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. They gathered in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall. The group included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. The delegates ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair.
The Founding Fathers were tasked with revising the existing government, but they ended up creating a completely new one. They crafted a powerful central government, compromising to represent their wildly different interests and views. The Founding Fathers understood that the Constitution should be able to change and grow over time, so they included a way to change it through amendments. These amendments include the Bill of Rights, which lists the fundamental rights of citizens, such as freedom of speech, religion, and press.
The delegates met to discuss a new, better form of government, as the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had many problems. The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, and couldn't print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
The Founding Fathers drafted the four parchment pages of the original Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787. This was an extraordinary achievement, resulting in one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. It is the oldest written constitution for any nation in the world.
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39 delegates signed the Constitution
The Founding Fathers of the United States include those who wrote and signed the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. The Founding Fathers also include certain military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and others who greatly assisted in the nation's formation.
The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787, making it the oldest constitution in the world. The Founding Fathers wanted to set up a fair and balanced government, as many Americans feared having a strong ruler after gaining independence from Great Britain. The Constitution is called the "Supreme Law of the Land" as it lays out the basic rules of the government, and no other law is above it.
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. Fifty-five delegates, appointed by the original states except Rhode Island, met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall) to draft the Constitution. Of these fifty-five delegates, thirty-nine signed the Constitution. George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent, bringing the total number of signatures to thirty-nine.
The Founding Fathers who signed the Constitution ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair.
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The Pennsylvania State House
The Founding Fathers who gathered in the Pennsylvania State House included George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention, and Benjamin Franklin, who, at 81, was the oldest delegate and had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. Other Founding Fathers present included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 42 delegates present on that day, making it the oldest constitution in the world. The Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, holds a significant place in American history as the location where the Founding Fathers came together to shape the nation's future and establish a fair and balanced government.
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Independence Hall
The Founding Fathers of the United States met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, during the summer of 1787. The Constitutional Convention assembled 55 delegates, ranging in age from 26 to 81, from all of the original states except Rhode Island. The delegates represented a wide range of interests and views, and their task was to revise the existing government. However, they ended up creating a completely new form of government, establishing a powerful central government while remaining wary of centralised power.
The Founding Fathers understood that the Constitution should be a living document that could change and grow over time, so they included a process for amending it. These changes are called "amendments," and it is challenging to amend the Constitution due to the high thresholds required for approval. The first ten amendments are known as the "Bill of Rights," which outline the fundamental rights of citizens, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as the right to a jury trial and the right to keep and bear arms.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 42 delegates present on the last day, making it the oldest constitution in the world. It is known as the "Supreme Law of the Land" as it establishes the basic rules of the US government, and no other law supersedes it. The Founding Fathers aimed to create a fair and balanced government that would prevent any single person, party, or group from gaining too much control.
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Frequently asked questions
The Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall) in the summer of 1787.
The Founding Fathers were a group of 55 delegates or statesmen who came together to write the U.S. Constitution. Some of the Founding Fathers include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
The U.S. Constitution is a written constitution that lays out the basic rules of the government. It is called the "Supreme Law of the Land" and is the oldest and shortest written national constitution in the world.
The Founding Fathers wanted to set up a fair and balanced government. The Constitution is significant because it created a powerful central government and has been emulated across the world. It has also only been amended 27 times in over 200 years.
















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