Simone Lawson
The US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the most important documents in American history. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, marking the colonies' independence from Great Britain. The US Constitution, on the other hand, was written and signed by a group of 38 delegates in 1787 and ratified in 1788. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, becoming the supreme law of the United States of America. While Thomas Jefferson is often credited as the author of the Declaration of Independence, he did not attend the Constitutional Convention that drafted the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of individuals who wrote the Constitution | 70 |
| Number of delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Age range of delegates | 26-81 |
| Number of individuals who wrote the Declaration of Independence | 5 |
| Number of Founding Fathers who didn't sign the Declaration of Independence | 4 |
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What You'll Learn
Who are the Founding Fathers?
The Founding Fathers of the United States are the men who created the country's government and forged the nation. The phrase "Founding Fathers" was first used by US Senator Warren G. Harding in his keynote speech at the 1916 Republican National Convention. The Founding Fathers are often viewed as a single entity that shared the same ideals and worked together to create one American nation. However, they had differing views on various issues, including the role of the federal government, slavery, and the radicalism of the American Revolution.
The Founding Fathers include the signers of three key documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. These documents are known collectively as the Charters of Freedom and are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. The Founding Fathers were also military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War and others who greatly assisted in the nation's formation. The first five US presidents are also considered Founding Fathers for their active participation in the American Revolution: Washington, John Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe.
The Founding Fathers represented the upper echelon of political leadership in the British colonies during the latter half of the 18th century. They were leaders in their communities and colonies and were willing to assume responsibility for public affairs. Most of them were young men when they created the nation, and nearly all were native-born and of British heritage, including Scots, Irish, and Welsh. Nearly half were lawyers, while the rest were primarily businessmen and planter-farmers.
Some of the key Founding Fathers include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. While these seven men are considered the principal Founding Fathers, there were dozens of others who played smaller but significant roles, such as George Mason, Patrick Henry, John Hancock, John Marshall, and Samuel Adams.
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Did the Founding Fathers sign the Declaration of Independence?
The Founding Fathers of the United States are the individuals who played pivotal roles in the country's independence from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States government. The term "Founding Fathers" is often used to refer to the signers of three key documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence, which expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain, was signed on July 4, 1776. Not all of the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. Notable figures such as George Washington, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who are typically counted as Founding Fathers, did not sign the document.
At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton was only 19 years old and was with the Continental Army in New York City. James Madison, who was 25 years old in 1776, was a member of the Virginia state legislature. John Jay, a delegate to the Continental Congress, was recalled by his home state before the signing. George Washington, who was the Commander of the Continental Army, was defending New York City in July 1776.
The Founding Fathers who were involved in drafting the Declaration of Independence include John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, who were members of the Committee of Five charged with this task by the Second Continental Congress.
The U.S. Constitution, on the other hand, was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. The Constitutional Convention, which assembled to revise the existing government, included 55 delegates, some of whom did not sign the Constitution. The Founding Fathers who signed the Constitution include George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison, who were instrumental in shaping the country's government and philosophy.
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Did the Founding Fathers write the Constitution?
The Founding Fathers is the name given to the group of individuals who played pivotal roles in America's independence from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States government. The Founding Fathers include those who wrote and signed the United States Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.
The list of Founding Fathers is often expanded to include the signers of the Declaration of Independence and individuals who later approved the U.S. Constitution. Some scholars regard all delegates to the Constitutional Convention as Founding Fathers whether they approved the Constitution or not.
The Founding Fathers who were involved in writing the Constitution include John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, who were members of the Committee of Five that were charged by the Second Continental Congress with drafting the Declaration of Independence. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse, and so 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers who signed the Constitution were wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, so they created a powerful central government. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises.
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What is the Constitution?
The Constitution of the United States is one of the country's founding documents, along with the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. These documents are known collectively as the Charters of Freedom. The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States.
The Founding Fathers include those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States. The term "Founding Fathers" can also refer to the members of the Constitutional Convention, the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and/or the drafters of the Constitution. The Founding Fathers were historical figures who played pivotal roles in America's independence from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States government. Many of them were wealthy slave owners before and after the country's founding.
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, and so 55 delegates attended the sessions, with 39 signing the Constitution. The delegates ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government but instead came up with a completely new one. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises and set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They bypassed the state legislatures, calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government.
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What is the Declaration of Independence?
The Declaration of Independence is one of three documents, known collectively as the Charters of Freedom, which are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded and the reasons for its separation from Great Britain.
The Founding Fathers include those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as individuals who approved the U.S. Constitution and signed the Articles of Confederation. The list of Founding Fathers is often expanded to include individuals who greatly assisted in the nation's formation, such as military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Many of them were wealthy slave owners before and after the country's founding.
The Declaration of Independence was drafted by the Committee of Five, which included John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. It was then presented to the Continental Congress in 1776, where it was approved and signed. The Continental Congress had instructed their delegates to Congress to declare independence, and the Declaration of Independence was read to the Continental Army by General George Washington.
The Founding Fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence did not include George Washington, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, or James Madison, who were instead involved in other ways. For example, Alexander Hamilton was with the Continental Army in New York City when the Declaration of Independence was drafted, approved, and signed, and James Madison was a member of the Virginia state legislature.
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Frequently asked questions
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of the United States, expressing the ideals on which the country was founded and explaining why the Thirteen Colonies regarded themselves as independent sovereign states no longer subject to British colonial rule.
The Declaration of Independence was written by a Committee of Five: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
The Constitution defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States. It was written to limit government power and establish rules for each part of the government.
The Constitution was written by 55 delegates, referred to as framers, who attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. 38 of these delegates signed the Constitution, with one delegate signing on behalf of another, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
