George Washington And The Constitutional Convention

George Washington and the Constitutional Convention

In the 1787, delegates from all states, except Rhode Island, went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to strengthen the Articles of Confederation in the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, the Federal Convention, and the Grand Convention (from May 14th to September 17th), was a conference that reflected on crucial alterations for the Articles of Confederation. Equally important, the Constitutional Convention was the origin of the United States Constitution. Therefore, the result of the meeting would impact the whole nation, as well as the nation’s survivability.

George Washington (1732-1799), was an erstwhile Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). Washington was born into an industrious Virginian planter family and had learned to be a surveyor at the age of Seventeen. Prior to Washington became the first President of the United States; he was highly respected and venerated in the country. In addition Due to Washington’s eminence and fame, he was invited to attend one thing that would change himself and the world, the Constitutional Convention.

George Washington had at first, refused to attend the Constitutional Convention, for he wanted to escape from political issues of the new country. Although many of his colleagues wrote a copious amount of letters insisting for him to attend the Convention, Washington nevertheless intended to retire at Mount Vernon, Virginia instead, after the Revolutionary War. Washington states his decision to not be engaged in politics in his two letters, one to Marquis de Lafayette, and one to the public:

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...cally and anonymously elected as the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention by the electoral college. With Washington as the presiding officer of the Convention, more delegates would come to would want to come to see Washington. Additionally, the fact that Washington goes to the Convention makes it a significant meeting. To illustrate, James Madison wrote a letter to Washington, stating the significance of Washington coming to the Convention and the stating of his name:

…It was the opinion of every judicious friend whom I consulted that your name could not be spared from the Deputation to the Meeting in May in Philadelphia… the advantage of having your name in the front of the appointment as a mark of the earnestness of Virginia, and an invitation to the most select characters from every part of the Confederacy, ought at all events to be made use of.