First President George Washington

In the years after the American Revolution, the retired general George Washington became so popular that some people wanted to make him king. Washington, however, had no interest in becoming an American monarch. He didn't even want to be president. Instead, he was quite content to enjoy the peaceful life of his Mount Vernon, Virginia, estate. But the new nation that he had helped to create needed him. When the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain in 1776, their first task was to win the Revoluntary War. But they also had to create a new form of government. Great Britain was ruled by a king, but most Americans wanted to be governed by leaders elected by the people. The first plan for such a government was set forth in 1777 in the Articles of Confederation. This plan included some features that linked the states together, but it lacked a strong central government that could compel action. Individual statesstill passed their own laws, issued their own money, and levied their own taxes. The powerlessness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation became obvious in 1786 when a revolt erupted in Massachusetts. Farmers there rebelled because many were being jailed for not paying their debts. The federal government could neither put down the uprising not force other states to help.

Because the Articles of Confederation weren't working, a national meeting was convened to develop a new plan. Delegates from the states gathered in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. George Washington presided over this conference, which became known as the Constitutional Convention. The Constitution that 39 of the delegates signed in September 1787 set up a new government with three distinct branches. The legislative branch included two chanbers, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The judical branch would beheaded by the Supreme Court. Finally, the executive branch would be led by the president.