The Articles of Confederation were a disaster and needed to be replaced. However, the public would not accept tampering with them unless the one man they knew and trusted - George Washington - was involved in the process. He had to be convinced to come out of retirement and to oversee the Constitutional Convention. His sense of duty that led him to lay aside what he wanted to do to serve his country, his serene leadership that promoted cooperation at the Constitutional Convention, and his noble character that led to a single president in the executive branch and promoted ratification were all crucial for the success of the Constitution. Yet Washington didn't take the credit for it; he said it all happened "by the good pleasure of Providence."
The Articles of Confederation were a disaster and needed to be replaced. However, the public would not accept tampering with them unless the one man they knew and trusted - George Washington - was involved in the process. He had to be convinced to come out of retirement and to oversee the Constitutional Convention. His sense of duty that led him to lay aside what he wanted to do to serve his country, his serene leadership that promoted cooperation at the Constitutional Convention, and his noble character that led to a single president in the executive branch and promoted ratification were all crucial for the success of the Constitution. Yet Washington didn't take the credit for it; he said it all happened "by the good pleasure of Providence."