Show HISTORY CONSTITUTION DAY DAY Septem Septem September ber 17 The Constitution of th the e United States was signed Septem Septem- f ber her 17 1787 by the delegates to the convention called to draft it The delegates had met in Inde Inde- Independence Independence Hall Philadelphia in May and deliberated in secret ses ses- session session ses- ses session sion for four months preceding the signing the document George Washington was president of the convention and Frank Franklin lin tin James Madison l James Wilson Alexander Hamilton Gouveneur Morris and other distinguished men of the time among the dele dele- gates After its ratification by the required number of states the Constitution was taken to New NewYork York which was then the seat scat of the government Later it was taken I to Philadelphia when that city became the capitol and finally to I Washington when Congress de de- Glared that city the permanent capitol The original copy of the document is in the Library of Con Con- gress The anniversary is observed more consistently in Philadelphia than in any other city due per per- perhaps haps to the fact that it was here it was drafted A national tion lion of the hundredth anniversary of the completion of the Constitution tion was held in Philadelphia on September 15 16 and 17 1887 The day has never become as gen gen- generally generally generally observed as have other days important in the country's history |