 Due to the difficulty of travel in the late 18th century , very few of the selected delegates were present on the designated day of May 14 , 1787 , and it was not until May 25 that a quorum of seven states was secured . ( New Hampshire delegates would not join the Convention until more than halfway through the proceedings , on July 23 . ) James Madison arrived first , and soon most of the Virginia delegation arrived . While waiting for the other delegates , the Virginia delegation produced the Virginia Plan , which was designed and written by James Madison . On May 25 , the delegations convened in the Pennsylvania State House . 
