Who were the main authors of the U.S. Constitution?

The correct answer identifies James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington as key figures associated with the authorship of the U.S. Constitution.

James Madison is often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution" due to his pivotal role in its drafting and his contributions to the Federalist Papers, which advocated for the Constitution's ratification. Alexander Hamilton was also instrumental in promoting the Constitution and authored many of the Federalist Papers alongside Madison, emphasizing the need for a strong central government. Although George Washington is not considered a primary author of the Constitution in the same sense as Madison and Hamilton, he presided over the Constitutional Convention, lending significant authority and support to the proceedings, which ultimately shaped the final document.

The other choices include influential figures from American history, but they were not the main authors of the Constitution. For instance, Thomas Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention and his primary contributions were instead in the Declaration of Independence. John Hancock and Samuel Adams played critical roles in the American Revolution but were not directly involved in the Constitution's drafting, while George Mason and Charles Pinckney were indeed present at the Convention, they were not as prominently recognized for authorship as Madison and Hamilton. John Jay's contributions were more focused on foreign affairs