Many Americans do not realize the political uproar our country was in between the end of the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Constitution. The Confederation was collapsing and plunging into debt, and had no real authority to do anything about it. Many political figures realized that in order for this country, and the revolution, to survive there needed to be a stronger central government. Among our country's founding fathers there was one man in particular that stood out from the rest, mostly attributed to his role leading up to and during the drafting of the constitution: James Madison. This is not to say that key players such as George Washington and Andrew Jackson didn’t contribute, but Madison seemed to rise above the crowd. James Madison played a huge role in uniting our country under a strong central government due to his forward political thinking and his meticulously planned arguments. …show more content…
George Washington did not attend college, but his knowledge of politics stemmed from his extensive military background. Due to his tendency to get sick and his inclination towards politics, Madison did not serve in the army. Hamilton served in the Continental Army as Washington's personal advisor where he realized the problems facing the continental congress. Joseph Ellis explains this realization in his book The Quartet by stating, “There is no way of knowing for sure, but the bulk of the evidence makes it probable that this was the time when Hamilton developed a pronounced sense of disdain for the competence of the Continental Congress, which was sustaining the Continental Army on life support” (Ellis 51). Washington and Hamilton realized from first hand experience that the country would not survive under the Articles of Confederation. The need for change was