In Philadelphia, on September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was signed, a foundational document that shaped the structure of the U.S. federal government and remains in effect today with amendments.
Following independence, the U.S. operated under the Articles of Confederation, a system granting significant state autonomy while weakening the central government, which lacked the power to tax or regulate interstate commerce.
The Constitutional Convention, convened from May to September 1787, debated and drafted a new text. The final version, produced by a committee led by Gouverneur Morris, was presented for signing on September 17, with 39 delegates signing the document.
The 1787 Constitution established the separation of powers and defined competencies between the Union and the states. It officially took effect in 1789 after ratification and is considered the world's oldest written national constitution still in force.
