Letters of "His Excellency": Constructing George Washington's Road to the Constitutional Convention

A national hero retired in 1783 from the stormy sea of politics, but less than four years later, he was the central figure in the most important convention in our country’s history. Washington’s letters and writings during his retirement years provide the answer to why Washington returned to lead our country. George Washington wrote prolifically to other national figures like John Jay, Henry Knox, and James Madison. He expressed his fears and concerns most openly during his conversations between these men and it shows his dedication to remaining retired, his opposition to power seeking, and how Shays’s Rebellion in Massachusetts affected him. Washington was not a coquettish power seeker, but a retired hero hoping to enjoy the remainder of his life. The letters to “His Excellency” George Washington brought a tired soldier back from retirement.