Maybe you've never thought about it, but when the United States won its war for independence from Great Britain, it wasn't a fully-formed nation, complete with Constitution and three-branched government.
A lot of thought, debate, and working together had to happen for the delegates at the Constitutional Convention to come up with the document that has guided us for more than 200 years.
The Convention delegates were some of the most respected statesmen and businessmen of the day, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Mason.
On September 17, 1787, the final draft of the Constitution was signed.
Although only 39 of the 55 people who attended the Convention actually signed it (some were protesting its lack of a bill of rights), the document's majority approval after months of work was a relief.
It was still up to the states to accept it, but the first major step had been taken—an occasion to celebrate!
Constitution Trivia Quiz
Get to know the Constitution and some of the men who signed it!
Constitution Links
Play the game whose clues are in the Constitution:
Branches of Power.
Two 1987 coins commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Constitution.
One of them is highlighted as September 2001's
Coin of the Month.
George Washington, president of the Constitutional Convention, has a longstanding connection with the
quarter dollar, of course.
But check out the December 2004 Coin of the Month to see a strange coin from 1793.