george washington was president when the bill of rights was added to the constitution.
george washington was president when the bill of rights was added to the constitution.
who was president when the bill of rights was added to the constitution?
george washington
bullet::::- in the story, a fierce hurricane broke out during the battle of long island, scattering the royal navy ships and drowning many of them, with devastating losses for the british. also many of the british troops on land were decimated by the storm, their commander william howe being killed by a falling tree - while american troops escaped virtually unscathed. this outcome, coming at the very moment when the american revolutionary cause seemed on the verge of losing new york city to the british, was widely perceived as an act of divine providence. during a mass thanksgiving ceremony at the new york's trinity church, a preacher referred to george washington as "god's anointed" - a usage which was soon taken up by others. with washington winning several more notable victories against the british, a growing number of people started to seriously regard him as "god's chosen", entrusted with "a divine mission". washington cultivated this phenomenon for political purposes - but in the following years he seemed to start believing in it himself. the washington cult of personality reached its peak when he brought the war to a successful conclusion in january 1779 - forcing the british to recognize american independence. the constitutional convention, held at 1782 in new york, was dominated by washington and his supporters. the constitution adopted provided for a president elected for life (and there was little doubt who it would be), a senate whose members would likewise sit for life, and a house of representatives elected by limited franchise. the "washington constitution" alienated many democrats who withdrew in protest when the convention failed to include a bill of rights. gouverneur morris, originally a friend and staunch supporter of george washington, was repelled by what he perceived as washington's increasing authoritarianism, arrogance and intolerance towards anyone who opposed him. morris sought to promote a compromise between washington and his opponents - but in vain. soon after washington assumed the life presidency, an armed rebellion broke out - which at washington's order was put down with considerable brutality. washington's opponents were driven underground - but after half a year, three of them managed to assassinate washington. thereupon, the united states was plunged into a full-scale civil war. this was exacerbated by the british reneging on the agreement, launching a large-scale invasion of the us and attempting to put in place a puppet president. forces loyal to thomas jefferson succeeded in repulsing the british invasion and breaking up the last of the die-hard washingtonians - but jefferson was himself killed in the last battle. in the aftermath, gouverneur morris came to the fore in the efforts to achieve reconciliation - specifically, in convening a new constitutional convention. the washington constitution was scrapped. the new constitution, much of it drafted by morris, provided for a president elected for a single six-year term and ineligible for re-election, an elected senate except for five life senators, and a bill of rights comprising thirteen articles. the new constitution gained wide support and gouverneur morris was elected president by a large majority. he considered the furthering of reconciliation as his main task, and got got nicknamed "the great healer". after his death, congress bestowed upon him the title "father of his country" and resolved to count him as having been first president of the united states - the washington years being dismissed as "an interregnum".
list of fictional united states presidencies of historical figures (m–o)
the first amendment is part of a group of 10 amendments to the united states constitution known as the bill of rights. the idea of adding a bill of rights to the constitution was proposed by george mason five days before the conclusion of the constitutional convention held in philadelphia in 1787. his proposal was rejected by the other delegates. alexander hamilton later argued in "the federalist papers" that a bill of rights was unnecessary, claiming that since the constitution granted limited powers to the federal government, it did not grant the new government the power to abuse the rights that would be secured by a bill of rights. nevertheless, the supporters of the constitution (known as federalists) in order to secure its ratification in massachusetts, agreed to add a group of amendments to the constitution after its ratification that would serve as a bill of rights. later, six more states likewise recommended the addition of a bill of rights, and the idea also gained the support of jefferson and madison. when the first federal congress met in 1789, madison implemented the idea by introducing 17 amendments to the constitution. by december 1791, ten of his amendments were ratified by the necessary three quarters of the states, and they became part of the us constitution, thereafter becoming known as "the bill of rights".
establishment clause