The convention met in the State House (now called Independence Hall) in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Fifty-five delegates attended, representing all the thirteen states except Rhode Island.
The convention had been the result of a campaign to replace the weak Articles of Confederation. Under the articles, Congress could not directly levy taxes and amendments required the consent of all 13 states, a near impossibility.
Most delegates were well-to-do members of their state's elite. When called together, they elected George Washington as their president. Meetings were in secret, to allow for completely free expression of opinions. The convention quickly decided to discard the old articles completely and draft a fresh document. By the Great Compromise, they decided to make the United States House of Representatives reflect population and the United States Senate have equal representation from each state. The final document was approved on September 17, 1787. It contained only seven articles of four thousand words.
