Contributed

On this day in history, the U.S. Constitution was signed after nearly four months of debate and deliberation.

Twelve of the 13 states sent representatives to convene in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention, with Rhode Island the sole exception. Thirty-nine of the 55 delegates signed the document. They represented not only their states but also a wide range of participants in the Revolutionary War. Some were signers of the Declaration of Independence, while others saw active duty.

Benjamin Franklin, then 81, was the oldest delegate in attendance. After months of careful revision, the final draft was penned by Jacob Shallus and presented on the convention’s final day. At the bottom of the document is a list of states written by Alexander Hamilton.

Despite the work that went into drafting the Constitution, several delegates were disappointed with the final product because they believed too much had been compromised or omitted throughout the process. Luther Martin of Maryland was among the delegates who opposed the final document and did not sign it. Alexander Hamilton also expressed concerns about the Constitution, though he ultimately signed the document.

Regardless of those concerns, the Constitution was signed and remains one of the most important documents in American history. It provides the structural framework for the three branches of the U.S. government — legislative, judicial and executive — and has influenced systems of government around the world, including those in Mexico, the Philippines and Brazil.

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