And if George Washington hadn’t agreed to preside over the Constitutional Convention in 1787, would the individual American states have agreed to the new United States Constitution? In a sense, had it not been for this one man’s decision to push aside his initial reluctance and lead a group of poor farmer’s against the elite east coast rich that controlled the Massachusetts state government, the United States of America as we know it may not exist. Ironically, as a result of these actions, this man, a highly decorated Revolutionary War hero, was vilified by his contemporaries, perhaps even by George Washington himself. Yet, today, more than two centuries after his pivotal exploits, we celebrate him for his bravery, his courage, and the deeper, truly American, response to a situation that hurt those without the political or monetary clout to protect themselves. Who is this man? More importantly, what is his connection to the Greater Western New York Region? To find the answer, read “The Heart of America Rests Peacefully Within the Heart of Greater Western New York.”