David Brearly's Constitution Matted Print

Once the United States was free and independent, individual states retained most governing powers under the Articles of Confederation. Concerns over their effectiveness soon became evident. The new nation badly needed to pay off its war debts, and there was no method to collect taxes. A supermajority of states was required to pass most laws.

A constitutional convention was called in 1787 to address these challenges. Delegates met at Philadelphia in Independence Hall, where they scrapped the Articles of Confederation and created a new system of government under the United States Constitution.

Two printings of the draft of what eventually became the Constitution were provided to the delegates. This copy belonged to New Jersey delegate David Brearley Jr., and includes Brearley’s handwritten annotations as the delegates debated. This matted print shows the first page of Brealry's Constitution.