The contributions that George Washington and James Madison made to the creation of the United States Constitution are discussed. As host of the Mount Vernon Conference and president of the Philadelphia Convention, Washington brought to the growing movement for a new constitution great dignity and political stature. Washington's stamp of approval for the new Constitution gave the advocates of the Constitution, the Federalists, a hefty advantage in the rhetorical battle for ratification. While Washington was the spiritual force behind the Constitution's framing, it was Madison who was the intellectual force. Madison, who first confronted the theoretical problems of confederalism head on, became the dominant voice in the creation of the American republic. It was Madison who argued for the "judicious modification of the federal principle," i.e., the dimunition of state sovereignty and an extension of the sphere of influence of the national government. This bicentennial year of the Constitution is a time to glorify the Constitution. It is a time to reaffirm those lasting truths that undergird our individual rights and to salute those responsible for the Constitution's creation. (RM)