This is the third in a series of articles submitted by the Elizabeth Maxwell Steele Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to commemorate Constitution Week, Sept. 17-23.
Only two of those who signed the U. S. Constitution would go on to become U.S. presidents – George Washington and James Madison.
George Washington was born to landed gentry in Virginia in 1732. His education was through tutors or private schools as he learned to be a surveyor. His military career began in 1753; he became general of the Continental Army and eventually its commander in chief (1775-1783). He served in the Virginia House of Burgesses (1759-1774) and the Continental Congress (1774-1775).
Washington was not satisfied with the Articles of Confederation; he advocated a stronger central government. He was host to the Mount Vernon Conference (1785) at his estate. He did not attend the Annapolis Convention (1786), but one year later, his friends encouraged him to attend the Constitutional Convention. Its success was influenced by his presence and dignity as he presided over the convention after being voted in unanimously as president of the convention by the delegates. He arrived on May 25 and was present until the Constitution was signed.
He spoke only once, but his influence on the scope and direction of discussions was profound. The Constitution was ratified in 1788 by all 13 states; his support convinced many to vote for ratification. The Electoral College unanimously chose him as the first president (1789-1797) – the only time in U.S. history this has happened. The delegates designed the presidency with Washington in mind and allowed him to define the office once elected. He provided stability and authority the emerging nation needed, gave substance to the Constitution and reconciled competing factions and divergent policies within the government and his administration.
He worked to unify the country by touring the Northeast in 1789 and the South in 1791 (including a visit to Salisbury). During his terms, the government moved from New York to Philadelphia in 1790 and planned for relocation to the District of Columbia. He laid the cornerstone of the Capitol building (1793). Although many wanted him to serve as president for a third term, he was tired of politics. His refusal of a third term set the precedent for the two-term presidency.
George Washington noted that America was entering a period of events that would determine what the nation would become. In a letter to John Hancock, he stated:
There are four things, which I humbly conceive, are essential to the well being, I may even venture to say, to the existence of the United States as an independent power:
1st. An indissoluble union of the states under one federal head;
2dly. A sacred regard to public justice;
3dly. The adoption of a proper peace establishment;
4thly. The prevalence of that pacific and friendly disposition among the people of the United States which will induce them to forget their local prejudices and policies, to make those mutual concessions which are requisite to the general prosperity, and in some instances, to sacrifice their individual advantages to the interest of the community.
James Madison, known as “The Father of the Constitution,” arrived in Philadelphia in February 1787, three months before the beginning of the Constitutional Convention, bearing a blueprint for the new Constitution. He attended every meeting and took extensive notes that would later be published. He was among the most influential delegates and was responsible for proposing the resolution to create cabinet positions in the Executive Branch. He also proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution – 10 of these became the Bill of Rights. He helped to develop the Virginia Constitution, which served as the basis for the U.S. Constitution. This “Virginia Plan” proposed two houses in government.
Madison argued for a strong central government to unify the country and campaigned for the ratification of the Constitution. He, along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, authored essays known as the Federalist Papers. He was elected to the House of Representatives (1789-1797), where he helped frame the Bill of Rights, organize the Executive Branch and create the federal tax system. He was key in the emergence of political parties. During John Adams’ presidency, Madison retired but returned as President Jefferson’s Secretary of State. Madison became the fourth U.S. president. His two terms (1809-1817) were dominated by the War of 1812. After his second term, he retired to Montpelier but served as foreign policy advisor to President Monroe.
After completion of the U.S. Constitution, Washington wrote the Marquis de Lafayette that “it (the Constitution) appears to me, then, little short of a miracle.” In addition, Madison wrote, “The happy union of these states is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of liberty throughout the world.” This “miracle” they spoke of was the product of the inspirations of those called as delegates to the Constitutional Convention. They provided a document that set up the structure of our government that has lasted to this day as the guiding beacon for “We the people.”