“And then, in 1787, '88, the idea becomes to try to continentalize, to take on a much bigger scale this idea of a written constitution, setting forth the rules for how people would govern themselves. What government could do and not do, what their powers would be and what the limits would be.”

Even so, he says Americans were not sure about creating such a constitution. Amar says they were afraid a new central government might be as arrogant and out of touch as the King of England had been.

However, most people slowly came to believe that a strong central government would protect their country better than the loose union of thirteen states could.

Many people also believed that a constitutional convention would not succeed without George Washington. People wanted to elect him president of the convention. But Washington did not want to go. He suffered from rheumatism. His mother and sister were sick. He needed to take care of business at Mount Vernon, his farm in Virginia. And he already said he was not interested in public office.

George Washington was the most famous man in America. Suppose only a few states sent representatives to the convention? Suppose it failed? Would he look foolish?

Two close friends -- James Madison and Edmund Randolph -- urged George Washington to go to Philadelphia.

He trusted them. So he said he would go as one of the representatives of Virginia. From that moment, it was clear the convention would be an important event. If George Washington would be there, it had to be important.