Key figures such as George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton were among the 55 delegates who gathered in Philadelphia for the convention. Their goal was to address the weaknesses and shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which had proven inadequate in effectively governing the newly independent nation.
During the convention, the delegates engaged in heated debates and negotiations over the structure and powers of the federal government. They eventually drafted a new constitution that established a more robust central government, with three branches – legislative, executive, and judicial – and a system of checks and balances.
The discussions also resulted in the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, which would later become the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing individual liberties and rights to citizens.
Ultimately, the Pennsylvania State House served as the birthplace of the United States Constitution, which remains the supreme law of the land and has shaped the nation's governance and democracy to this day. The document that emerged from the convention laid the foundation for a strong federal government and established the United States as a republic with a representative democracy.