Don’t expect fireworks on Sept. 17, the anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The Fourth of July gets the fanfare, celebrating the Declaration of Independence.
But without the Constitution there would be little to celebrate. And without George Washington we would not have the Constitution.
James Madison is often praised as the “Father of the Constitution.” One of his lesser-known achievements was helping persuade Washington to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia where the delegates unanimously chose Washington to preside.
Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay wrote the 85 essays now known as “The Federalist Papers” to make the intellectual case for ratifying the Constitution. But Washington supplied something that nobody else could: the trust of the public.
At least 49 newspapers printed Washington’s endorsement of the new form of government. Some pro-ratification printings of the Constitution often featured a message from Washington prominently before the actual text.
Many Americans feared that a powerful new chief executive could become a king or dictator. But everyone already knew how Washington had voluntarily relinquished his military power; he could be trusted. The presumption was that he would become the first president under the Constitution but then relinquish power again. And indeed he did.
Washington enjoyed extraordinary public respect. By contrast, “The Federalist Papers,” written under the pen name of Publius, competed with a flood of published essays. Anti-Federalist writers used pseudonyms of their own such as Brutus, Cato, Cincinnatus and Federal Farmer. But two notable anti-Federalists, George Mason and Patrick Henry, used their real names.
The anti-Federalists failed to block ratification of the Constitution but their insistence upon a Bill of Rights was successful. Multiple states accompanied their ratification with a list of changes they wanted — relying on Federalist promises that protections for individual rights would be added. Something profound then happened: This political promise was kept and our Bill of Rights was adopted.
In ratifying the Constitution, Massachusetts had recommended nine amendments; New Hampshire listed twelve; New York and Virginia had even longer lists. Madison sifted through these and other proposals, combining and refining them into twelve amendments, of which 10 were ratified to become the Bill of Rights.
Declarations of rights had already developed roots. Before declaring independence, the Second Continental Congress encouraged each colony to adopt new state constitutions. Those under royal charters found their systems were effectively ended when the Declaration of Independence dissolved ties with Great Britain; plus the new era demanded new structures.
The resulting wave of new state constitutions developed and tested new ideas, including guarantees of individual rights that had been violated by King George III. These were raw material that could be refashioned on the national level.
James Madison deserves great credit for his work on the Constitution and for guiding the Bill of Rights through Congress. But he did not start from scratch. Madison selected, combined and refined what had been developed in the states.
Great ideas, however, do not automatically earn great support. Our Constitution needed someone almost universally respected and trusted who put his reputation on the line. He was the Indispensable American, General George Washington.
Washington supplied trust and legitimacy. The anti-Federalists supplied the pressure for a Bill of Rights. The states supplied constitutional experience and ideas.
Our Constitution was not the product of one person or one group. It grew out of We the People. But on Sept. 17, give special credit to George.