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Constitutional Convention Timeline

(May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787)

The Constitutional Convention was a historic meeting in Philadelphia where delegates drafted the United States Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. Less

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Colonial and confederation precedents

Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia

1775

The Second Continental Congress convened in present-day Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the colonial capital, and directed the emerging American war effort.

Image source: Second Continental Congress

Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia

Declaration of Independence adopted

1776

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, formally announcing the colonies' separation from Great Britain.

Image source: United States Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence adopted

States create a permanent wartime alliance

1776

The thirteen colonial states created a permanent alliance to coordinate American efforts to win the Revolutionary War.

Articles of Confederation adopted

1777

The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777 as the framework for a union of the states.

Massachusetts elects constitutional convention delegates

1779

Massachusetts popularly elected delegates in 1779 for its constitutional convention, establishing a precedent later associated with the Federal Convention.

Image source: Constitution of Massachusetts

Massachusetts elects constitutional convention delegates

Articles of Confederation ratified by all states

1781

Although adopted in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were not ratified by all the states until 1781.

Rhode Island vetoes federal impost amendment

1782

Rhode Island vetoed an amendment that would have allowed Congress to levy taxes on imports to pay federal debts, highlighting the weaknesses of the Confederation government.

Congress proposes foreign-trade amendment

1784

In 1784, Congress proposed an amendment intended to give it powers over foreign trade.

Second federal impost attempt

1785

A second attempt was made in 1785 to approve a federal impost, reflecting continuing efforts to give Congress reliable revenue.

Image source: Articles of Confederation

Second federal impost attempt

Road to Philadelphia

Shays' Rebellion begins

1786 - 1787

When the Massachusetts government refused to enact relief legislation, rural farmers resorted to violence in Shays' Rebellion, which lasted from 1786 into 1787.

Image source: Shays' Rebellion

Shays' Rebellion begins

Annapolis Convention meets

Sep 1786

In September 1786, delegates from five states met at the Annapolis Convention to discuss commercial and governmental difficulties under the Confederation.

Rhode Island refuses to send delegates

1787

Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention and later became the last state to ratify the Constitution, in May 1790.

Image source: Constitutional Convention (United States)

Rhode Island refuses to send delegates

Call for a Philadelphia convention

Feb 21, 1787

The Confederation Congress endorsed holding a convention in Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.

Madison drafts Vices of the Political System

Apr 1787

In April 1787, James Madison drafted Vices of the Political System of the United States, a systematic evaluation of the American political system that proposed solutions to its weaknesses.

Image source: James Madison

Madison drafts Vices of the Political System

Convention postponed from its planned opening

May 14, 1787

The convention was originally planned to begin on May 14, but it had to be postponed because very few selected delegates were present, partly owing to the difficulty of late-eighteenth-century travel.

Legacy and cultural portrayals

Yates records the convention's early debates

1787 - Jul 1787

Robert Yates kept notes on the convention's debates through the first two months, providing an important contemporary record.

Yates' convention notes published

1821

Yates' notes on the convention's first two months were published in 1821.

Madison's convention notes published after his death

1836

James Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 are likely the most complete first-person record of the convention. Because delegates pledged secrecy, Madison's account was not published until after his death in 1836.

Image source: Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787

Madison's convention notes published after his death

A More Perfect Union portrays the convention

1989

The 1989 film A More Perfect Union portrays events and discussions from the Constitutional Convention and was largely filmed in Independence Hall.

Image source: A More Perfect Union (film)

A More Perfect Union portrays the convention

Convention debates and compromises

Constitution debated and ratified by the convention

1787 - Sep 17, 1787

The convention ultimately debated and ratified the Constitution of the United States, making it one of the most significant events in American history.

Delegates agree on the 1808 slave-trade date

1787

Northern and southern delegates agreed that Congress could end the international slave trade starting in 1808, making the date an important constitutional compromise.

Madison questions representation without direct taxation

1787

Madison noted that if the national government did not impose direct taxes, which it rarely did for the next century, representatives could not be assigned on that basis.

Executive structure becomes a major dispute

1787

The form of the executive, its powers, and its method of selection became sources of constant dispute throughout the summer of 1787.

Delegates debate voter information and deliberation

1787

Most delegates were not questioning the intelligence of voters; they were concerned instead about the slowness with which information spread in the late eighteenth century.

Committee develops slave-trade compromise

1787

A convention committee helped work out a compromise between northern and southern delegates concerning congressional authority over the international slave trade.

Congress receives power to end slave trade

1787

The compromise empowered Congress to ban the international slave trade, but prohibited such action for twenty years, until 1808.

Constitutional Convention opens in Philadelphia

May 25, 1787 - Sep 17, 1787

The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 through September 17, 1787.

Constitution voted on by delegates

Sep 17, 1787

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was voted on by the delegates at the conclusion of the convention.

Jacob Shallus inscribes the Constitution

Sep 17, 1787

Jacob Shallus inscribed the Constitution on parchment, with engraving used for printing.

Thirty-nine delegates sign the Constitution

Sep 17, 1787

Thirty-nine of the convention's fifty-five delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

Key Facts

  1. The convention met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall.
  2. George Washington presided over the convention, while James Madison played a major role in drafting and promoting the Constitution.
  3. The Great Compromise created a bicameral Congress with representation by population in the House and equal representation for each state in the Senate.
  4. The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for determining representation and taxation.
  5. The delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, but it required ratification by nine states to take effect.

Source

This Constitutional Convention timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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