<P> Twelve state legislatures, Rhode Island being the only exception, sent delegates to convene at Philadelphia in May 1787 . While the resolution calling the Convention specified that its purpose was to propose amendments to the Articles, through discussion and debate it became clear by mid-June that the Convention would propose a Constitution with a fundamentally new design . </P> <P> The Congress of the Confederation endorsed a plan to revise the Articles of Confederation on February 21, 1787 . It called on each state legislature to send delegates to a convention "' for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation' in ways that, when approved by Congress and the states, would' render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union ."' </P> <P> To amend the Articles into a workable government, 74 delegates from the twelve states were named by their state legislatures; 55 showed up, and 39 eventually signed . On May 3, eleven days early, James Madison arrived to Philadelphia and met with James Wilson of the Pennsylvania delegation to plan strategy . Madison outlined his plan in letters that (1) State legislatures each send delegates, not the Articles Congress . (2) Convention reaches agreement with signatures from every state . (3) The Articles Congress approves forwarding it to the state legislatures . (4) The state legislatures independently call one - time conventions to ratify, selecting delegates by each state's various rules of suffrage . The Convention was to be "merely advisory" to the people voting in each state . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th_colspan="3"> (show) Delegates to the Constitutional Convention </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Order </Th> <Th> Name </Th> <Th> State represented </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> aa 1 </Td> <Td> Washington, George George Washington </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ab 2 </Td> <Td> Langdon, John John Langdon </Td> <Td> New Hampshire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ac 3 </Td> <Td> Gilman, Nicholas Nicholas Gilman </Td> <Td> New Hampshire </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ad 4 </Td> <Td> Gorham, Nathaniel Nathaniel Gorham </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ae 5 </Td> <Td> King, Rufus Rufus King </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> af 6 </Td> <Td> Johnson, William Samuel William Samuel Johnson </Td> <Td> Connecticut </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ag 7 </Td> <Td> Sherman, Roger Roger Sherman </Td> <Td> Connecticut </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ah 8 </Td> <Td> Hamilton, Alexander Alexander Hamilton </Td> <Td> New York </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ai 9 </Td> <Td> Livingston, William William Livingston </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> aj 10 </Td> <Td> Brearley, David David Brearley </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ak 11 </Td> <Td> Paterson, William William Paterson </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> al 12 </Td> <Td> Dayton, Jonathan Jonathan Dayton </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> am 13 </Td> <Td> Franklin, Benjamin Benjamin Franklin </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> an 14 </Td> <Td> Mifflin, Thomas Thomas Mifflin </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ao 15 </Td> <Td> Morris, Robert Robert Morris </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ap 16 </Td> <Td> Clymer, George George Clymer </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> aq 17 </Td> <Td> FitzSimons, Thomas Thomas FitzSimons </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ar 18 </Td> <Td> Ingersoll, Jared Jared Ingersoll </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> as 19 </Td> <Td> Wilson, James James Wilson </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> at 20 </Td> <Td> Morris, Gouverneur Gouverneur Morris </Td> <Td> Pennsylvania </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> au 21 </Td> <Td> Read, George George Read </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> av 22 </Td> <Td> Bedford, Jr., Gunning Gunning Bedford, Jr . </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> aw 23 </Td> <Td> Dickinson, John John Dickinson </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ax 24 </Td> <Td> Bassett, Richard Richard Bassett </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ay 25 </Td> <Td> Broom, Jacob Jacob Broom </Td> <Td> Delaware </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> az 26 </Td> <Td> McHenry, James James McHenry </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bb 27 </Td> <Td> Jenifer, Daniel of St. Thomas Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bc 28 </Td> <Td> Carroll, Daniel Daniel Carroll </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bd 29 </Td> <Td> Blair, Jr., John John Blair, Jr . </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> be 30 </Td> <Td> Madison, Jr., James James Madison, Jr . </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bf 31 </Td> <Td> Blount, William William Blount </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bg 32 </Td> <Td> Spaight, Richard Dobbs Richard Dobbs Spaight </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bh 33 </Td> <Td> Williamson, Hugh Hugh Williamson </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bi 34 </Td> <Td> Rutledge, John John Rutledge </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bj 35 </Td> <Td> Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Charles Cotesworth Pinckney </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bk 36 </Td> <Td> Pinckney, Charles Charles Pinckney </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bl 37 </Td> <Td> Butler, Pierce Pierce Butler </Td> <Td> South Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bm 38 </Td> <Td> Few, William William Few </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bn 39 </Td> <Td> Baldwin, Abraham Abraham Baldwin </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bp Χ </Td> <Td> Gerry, Elbridge Elbridge Gerry </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bq Χ </Td> <Td> Mason, George George Mason </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> br Χ </Td> <Td> Randolph, Edmund Edmund Randolph </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bs ⋈ </Td> <Td> Davie, William William Davie </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bt ⋈ </Td> <Td> Ellsworth, Oliver Oliver Ellsworth </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bu ⋈ </Td> <Td> Houston, William William Houston </Td> <Td> New Jersey </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bv ⋈ </Td> <Td> Houstoun, William William Houstoun </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bw ⋈ </Td> <Td> Lansing, John John Lansing </Td> <Td> New York </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bx ⋈ </Td> <Td> Martin, Alexander Alexander Martin </Td> <Td> North Carolina </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> by ⋈ </Td> <Td> Martin, Luther Luther Martin </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> bz ⋈ </Td> <Td> McClurg, James James McClurg </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> cc ⋈ </Td> <Td> Mercer, John John Mercer </Td> <Td> Maryland </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> cd ⋈ </Td> <Td> Pierce, William William Pierce </Td> <Td> Georgia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> ce ⋈ </Td> <Td> Strong, Caleb Caleb Strong </Td> <Td> Massachusetts </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> cf ⋈ </Td> <Td> Wythe, George George Wythe </Td> <Td> Virginia </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> cg ⋈ </Td> <Td> Yates, Robert Robert Yates </Td> <Td> New York </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> Signed the Constitution Refused to sign the Constitution Dropped out of the convention </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Who wrote the first draft of the us constitution