How the Constitution
Came to Be

Madison's Notes

James Madison sat near the front of the Pennsylvania State House throughout the Convention, recording as much of each day's debates as he could. He wrote his notes in shorthand during sessions and expanded them in the evenings.

Though not verbatim transcripts, his notes are the most detailed account available of the arguments that shaped each clause of the Constitution. They were first published in 1840, after his death, and remain essential reading for anyone studying American constitutional history.

The text on this site comes from the 1920 edition prepared by Gaillard Hunt and James Brown Scott for Oxford University Press, as archived by the Yale Law School Avalon Project.

The Convention at a Glance

• The Conventionw as called to address shortcomings in the Articles of Confederation, which provided the structure of the US government during the Revolutionary War and the years immediatly following
• Convened May 25, 1787, when a quorum was finally reached (12 days after the scheduled start)
• Held at the Pennsylvania State House (now called "Independence Hall") in Philadelphia
• 55 delegates attended; 39 ultimately signed the finished Constitution
• Delegates represented each of the 13 states except for Rhode Island, which refused to send any delegates
• Sessions were held in strict secrecy, with no outside observers allowed
• The Convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates quickly decided to replace them entirely
• After more than 80 days of debate over three months, the Constitution was finally completed and signed on September 17, 1787