Results for “when was the constitution written” · retrieved September 22, 2026

Quick answer

The United States Constitution was written during the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and signed on September 17, 1787.

Answer details

1

Convention Dates

The Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, to address the government of the United States.

2

Drafting Process

Throughout the summer, delegates debated the structure of the government, eventually appointing committees to draft and refine the text into its final form.

3

Signing Date

The final document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus and signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787.

archives.gov

Constitution of the United States (1787)

Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States....The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. Because the delegations from only two states were at first present, the...adjourned from day to...until a qu

April 10, 2024

archives.gov

The Constitution: How Was it Made? | National Archives

The state delegates approved the draft of the Constitution on September 15, 1787. The signing was set for the very next Monday. Jacob Shallus, the assistant clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, agreed to engross (copy in a fine, clear hand) the document. Over the course of about 40 hours, he created an accurate transcription of the draft. He was paid $30 for his efforts. On September 17, the document was ready for signing.

April 1, 2016

constitutioncenter.org

Constitution FAQs

The Constitution was written and signed in 1787. It was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land....The Constitution was written and signed in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. This was the same place the Declaration of Independence was signed....The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention—

Publication date not supplied

archives.gov

The Constitution: How Did it Happen? | National Archives

The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. The delegates shuttered the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. Although they had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, by mid-June they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take....After three hot summer months of equally heated debate, the delegates appointed a

March 30, 2016

britannica.com

Constitutional Convention | History & Compromises | Britannica

United States history [1787]....S....The signing of the...39 members...7; painting by Howard...Constitutional Convention, (1787), in U.S. history, convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. Stimulated by severe economic troubles, which produced radical political movements such as Shays’s Rebellion, and urged on by a demand for a stronger central government, the convention met in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia(May

July 20, 1998

loc.gov

Collection Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774 to 1789

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was called to revise the ailing Articles of Confederation. However, the Convention soon abandoned the Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a much stronger national government. Nine states had to approve the Constitution before it could go into effect. After a long and often bitter debate, eleven states ratified the Constitution, which instituted a new form of government for the United States....On July

Publication date not supplied

uscode.house.gov

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA— ...

1This text of the Constitution follows the engrossed copy signed by Gen. Washington and the deputies from 12 States. The small superior figures preceding the paragraphs designate clauses, and were not in the original and have no reference to footnotes. In May 1785, a committee of Congress made a report rec ommending an alteration in the Articles of Confederation, but no action was taken on it, and it was left to the State Legisla tures to proceed

Publication date not supplied

archives.gov

Constitution of the United States—A History | National Archives

May 25, 1787, freshly spread dirt covered the cobblestone street in front of the Pennsylvania State House, protecting the men inside from the sound of passing carriages and carts. Guards stood at the entrances to ensure that the curious were kept at a distance. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, the "financier" of the Revolution, opened the proceedings with a nomination--Gen. George Washington for the presidency of the Constitutional Convention. The

November 4, 2015

Keep exploring

Related on this site

This page was prepared by Seeked from live retrieval on September 22, 2026 and is not continuously updated. Run a fresh search for the latest, or to inspect each source.