1787

Events from the year **1787 in the United States**. The United States Constitution was written and the ratification process began.

## Incumbents

### Federal Government

* President: Arthur St. Clair (February 2-October 29)
* Second Continental Congress

### Governors

* Governor of Delaware: Thomas Collins (no political party) (starting December 7)
* Governor of New Jersey: William Livingston (Federalist) (starting December 18)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: Benjamin Franklin (Independent) (starting December 12)

## Events

### January - March

* January 6 – The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes nine commissioners to purchase 100 acres (0.40 km2) of land for the county seat of Chatham County. The town is named Pittsborough (later shortened to Pittsboro) for William Pitt the Younger.
* February 28 – A charter is granted establishing the institution known today as the University of Pittsburgh.

### April - June

* May 14 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates begin arriving to write a new Constitution for the United States.
* May 25 – In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, delegates begin to convene a Constitutional Convention intended to amend the Articles of Confederation. However, a new Constitution for the United States is eventually produced. George Washington presides over the Convention.
* June 6 – Franklin College, named for Benjamin Franklin, opens in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It later merges with Marshall College to become Franklin and Marshall College.
* June 20 – Oliver Ellsworth moves at the Federal Convention that the government be called the United States.

### July - September

* July 13 – The U.S. Congress enacts the Northwest Ordinance establishing governing rules for the Northwest Territory. It also establishes procedures for the admission of new states including gridded townships and limits the expansion of slavery.
* August 27 – Launching a 45-foot (14 m) steam powered craft on the Delaware River, John Fitch demonstrates the first U.S. patent for his design.
* September 17 – The United States Constitution is adopted by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

### October - December

* October 27 – The first of *The Federalist* papers, a series of essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay calling for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, is published in a New York paper.
* December 7 – Delaware ratifies the United States Constitution and becomes the 1st U.S. state.
* December 8 – Mission La Purisima Concepcion is founded by Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, becoming the 11th mission in the California mission chain.
* December 12 – Pennsylvania ratifies United States the Constitution and becomes the 2nd U.S. state.
* December 18 – New Jersey ratifies United States the Constitution and becomes the 3rd U.S. state.

## Memoriam

* January 1 – Arthur Middleton, politician (aged 44; Charleston, SC, USA)
* April 3 – George William Fairfax, planter and member of the landed gentry of late colonial Virginia (aged 63; England, GB)
* May 28 – William Savery, cabinetmaker (aged 65; Philadelphia, PA, USA)
* August 27 – Charles DeWitt, planter and member of the landed gentry of late colonial Virginia (aged 60; Kingston, NY, USA)
* October 5 – Thomas Stone, planter and lawyer, signatory of U.S. Declaration of Independence (aged 44; Alexandria, VA, USA)