The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and later ratified by conventions in each state in the name of "the People"; it has since been amended twenty-seven times. The Constitution has a central place in American law and political culture. The U.S. Constitution is argued by many to be the oldest written national constitution. The handwritten, or "engrossed", original document is on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.