On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with the intention of revising the Articles of Confederation. Out of this conference, the United States Constitution was drafted.

Following the Revolutionary War and before the Constitution was drafted, the original United States operated under the Articles of Confederation, created by the Second Continental Congress. Unfortunately, the national government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to adequately regulate the various conflicts that arose between the states, particularly because it could only be amended by unanimous vote of the states. Thus, any state had effective veto power over any proposed change. In addition, the Articles gave the federal government no taxing power.

In 1786, all states were invited to send delegates to Annapolis, Maryland to discuss ways to reduce these interstate conflicts. This became known as the Annapolis Convention. Those few state delegates in attendance called for all states to meet in Philadelphia to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitutional Convention began on May 25, 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it lasted until September 17. Fifty-five delegates participated in the Convention, and they elected George Washington to preside over the meeting. Though originally called simply to revise the Articles of Confederation, at the end of the Convention, the United States Constitution had been written. Rhode Island, fearing that the Convention would work to its disadvantage, boycotted the Convention entirely in hopes of preventing any change to the Articles, and when the Constitution was presented to the states, refused to ratify it.

Today, we, of course, still use the Constitution that came out of the Continental Congress.