May 14, 1787 U.S. delegates met in Philadelphia to begin drawing up a constitution for the United States. The Constitutional Convention was held in private and few records were kept of the proceedings. What is known is that in its final form it was a compromise document, with many of its provisions disputed by the various delegates. Even after its completion it was highly controversial and was only ratified after a bill of rights was added as the first ten amendments. America is the first modern nation to become a democracy with a written constitution, and it is perhaps the most influential document of the modern era because of its influence on the laws and constitutions of nations throughout the world. Ironically, most of the founding fathers did not expect it to survive for more than about 25 years.
