What happened at the Constitutional Convention?

Why This Matters

This question asks what happened at the Constitutional Convention. The answer is that the Constitution was written, or that the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution. Either way of saying it is accepted by USCIS.

In 1787, delegates from twelve of the thirteen states gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a meeting that would change American history. The original purpose of the meeting was to fix problems with the Articles of Confederation, the first set of rules the states had been using to govern themselves. The Articles had made the national government too weak. It could not collect taxes, regulate trade, or keep order between the states. The country was struggling.

However, instead of simply fixing the Articles, the delegates decided to write an entirely new document. Over the course of four months during the summer of 1787, they debated and compromised on how the new government should work. The result was the United States Constitution, the supreme law of the land. Key figures at the Convention included George Washington, who served as president of the Convention, James Madison, who is called the "Father of the Constitution," and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest delegate at age eighty-one. The Constitution created the three branches of government and established the system of checks and balances that America still uses today.

Key Facts

• The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia in 1787
• The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution at this meeting
• The Convention was originally called to fix the Articles of Confederation
• George Washington led the Convention as its president
• James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution"

Common Mistakes

• Saying "the Declaration of Independence was written", that was in 1776, not at the Constitutional Convention
• Saying "the Bill of Rights was written", the Bill of Rights was added later, in 1791
• Confusing the Constitutional Convention with the Continental Congress, they were different meetings

Study Tip

Remember this simple fact: Constitutional Convention equals Constitution. The name of the meeting tells you what happened there. The word "Constitutional" is right in the name. If you remember that connection, you will always get this question right.