George Washington led the 1787 Constitutional Congress. Soon after the convention began, on May 14, 1787, the delegates unanimously elected Washington to be the convention president. This was one of the few matters they agreed on, as they were a group of passionate federalists and anti-federalists. In presiding over the Constitutional Convention, Washington worked to forge consensus, demanding complete secrecy as the delegates set about the controversial task of not just revising the Articles of Confederation, but scrapping them all together .
Rising above conflicts between individual states, Washington created an atmosphere that allowed convention members to reach the compromises necessary to create a bold, new government. He stayed relatively quiet, allowing the delegates to debate the foundation of the Constitution amongst themselves. While Washington held the belief that America should have a strong central government and a single executive leader, he did not allow his bias to sway the other delegates. Washington mainly participated to keep order and provide a deciding vote on a variety of proposals.
After four months of intense debate, the delegates finally came to an agreement, and on September 17, 1787, the Constitution as we know it was born. The important role Washington’s commanding presence played in achieving this outcome cannot be underestimated. Perhaps James Monroe summarized this role best when, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he said that “Be assured, [Washington’s] influence carried the government.”
From: George Washington's Mount Vernon (mountvernon.org)
The original states, except Rhode Island, collectively appointed 70 individuals to the Constitutional Convention. A number of these individuals did not accept or could not attend, including Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. In all, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution. The delegates ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. This and more information about the membership of the Constitutional Convention are found on this National Archives' page, "Meet the Framers of the Constitution."