The Constitutional Convention
An always-running art installation that replays the entire United States Constitutional Convention of 1787 as a group chat in near-realtime.
55 delegates from 12 states gathered in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787 to draft the Constitution. Rhode Island refused to participate. Attendance fluctuated between 30 and 40 on any given day. This installation maps the original 1787 dates onto the present day, replaying the Convention as it happened — one message at a time.
Key Delegates
- James Madison (Virginia) — Quiet, precise, and relentless. The architect of the Constitution who arrived with a fully formed plan to replace the Articles of Confederation.
- Benjamin Franklin (Pennsylvania) — The elder statesman at 81 years old. Too frail to stand and speak, his speeches were read aloud by James Wilson.
- Alexander Hamilton (New York) — Brilliant and impatient, outnumbered in his own delegation. Left in frustration, returned to sign alone for New York.
- George Washington (Virginia) — Convention President. Barely spoke during debates, but when he did, everything stopped.
- Gouverneur Morris (Pennsylvania) — The most frequent speaker with 173 speeches. Authored the Preamble's "We the People."
- Roger Sherman (Connecticut) — The practical dealmaker who saved the Convention with the Great Compromise.
Sources
All dialogue is derived from primary historical sources:
- James Madison's Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787
- Robert Yates' Secret Proceedings and Debates of the Convention
- Max Farrand's The Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
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