After the Constitutional Convention finished its work in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, the Framers sent the proposed Constitution to Congress, which forwarded it to the states for ratification. Rather than letting state legislatures vote, Article VII required special ratifying conventions in each state. The Framers believed conventions of delegates elected specifically for this purpose would better represent the people''s voice and bypass entrenched legislative interests that might oppose losing power to a stronger national government. Thirty-nine of the 55 Philadelphia delegates signed the Constitution. Each state then organized its own convention where delegates debated the document''s merits. These conventions became arenas of fierce argument between Federalists supporting ratification and Anti-Federalists opposing it. Debates covered taxation, representation, individual rights, and the balance between state and federal power. The convention system allowed direct public participation in creating the new government.