Founding Fathers: Educated Or Not?

The Founding Fathers of the United States include those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 are referred to as framers, and of these, 39 signed the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution were both young and experienced, with an average age of 42. Over half of the delegates graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. Many of the framers were prominent figures, including George Washington, a general in the American Revolution and the nation's first president, and Alexander Hamilton, who, like many of the other Founding Fathers, was a slave owner.

Explore related products

THE FOUNDERS' SPEECH TO A NATION IN CRISIS: What the Founders would say to America today. (The Founders' Speech Series)

$12.29 $28.5

A People's History of the United States

$18.79 $23.99

History Matters

$22.98 $27

America The Story of Us (TV Series)

$2.99

American History X (DVD)

$5 $24.99

The Girl Behind the Gates: The gripping, heartbreaking historical bestseller based on a true story

$0.99 $15.99

The educational background of the framers

The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 are referred to as framers. The average age of the delegates was 42, with the youngest being 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton and the oldest being 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. The framers were both young and experienced, with a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership. The vast majority were well-educated and prosperous, and all were prominent in their respective states. Over half of the delegates graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. The rest were either homeschooled, received tutoring, completed apprenticeships, or were self-educated.

The framers included George Washington, a Virginia aristocrat, Revolutionary War general, and later president, who presided over the proceedings; Alexander Hamilton, who opposed slavery; James Madison, called the "Father of the Constitution" by his contemporaries; and Benjamin Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. Other notable framers include Elbridge Gerry, who lent his name to the practice of gerrymandering; and Roger Sherman, the only founder to sign all four major founding documents: the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.

The framers addressed populism by ensuring that the president was selected by a body of electors chosen by the states, rather than by individual voters. They also gave the chief executive veto power over legislation and tried to insulate Congress from populist pressures. The framers believed that the government was created to protect property, not redistribute it. They wanted to limit the political influence of the voting public, particularly through their control over state governments.

The framers' views on democracy

The framers of the US Constitution were delegates appointed by the original states (except Rhode Island) to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The 55 delegates who attended the convention were a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, and the vast majority were well-educated and prosperous. Over half of the delegates had graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. The average age of the delegates was 42, with the youngest being 26 and the oldest 81.

The framers sought to address populism and insulate the different branches of government from populist pressures. They ensured that the president was selected by a body of electors chosen by the states, and that the chief executive would have veto power over legislation. Senators were originally selected by state legislators, not directly elected by voters, and were given longer terms of office to insulate them from populist influence. The House of Representatives, which was the only branch of the federal government to be popularly elected by the people, was kept relatively small to limit its populist inclinations.

The framers also considered how to protect the judiciary from populist influence. They established a nationwide system of courts, including the US Supreme Court, to protect the interests of the federal government. Federal judges were granted tenure and protection from salary diminution to safeguard their political independence. While the Constitution promised liberty to the citizens of the United States, it also limited their political influence on the national government. Additionally, the framers excluded certain groups, such as women, enslaved people, and those who did not own sufficient property, from the franchise.

The framers' views on slavery

The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention, also referred to as framers, represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership. The average age of the delegates was 42, with the youngest being 26 and the oldest 81. The vast majority were well-educated and prosperous, and all were prominent in their respective states. Over half of the delegates graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. Many of the Founding Fathers owned slaves, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Others owned only a few slaves, such as Benjamin Franklin. Some married into large slave-owning families, such as Alexander Hamilton. Despite this, all expressed a wish at some point to see the institution gradually abolished. Benjamin Franklin, who owned slaves early in his life, later became president of the first abolitionist society in the United States. During the Revolutionary War, Washington began to change his views, writing that he wished "more and more to get clear" of owning slaves. Men like Marquis de Lafayette and John Laurens, who adamantly opposed slavery, urged Washington to work towards its abolition.

While the word "slave" does not appear in the Constitution, the document does mention the migration of enslaved people. The framers consciously avoided using the word "slave," recognizing that it would sully the document. However, slavery received important protections in the Constitution. The notorious three-fifths clause counted three-fifths of a state's slave population when apportioning representation, giving the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College. The framers believed that concessions on slavery were necessary to gain the support of southern delegates for a strong central government. They were convinced that if the Constitution restricted the slave trade, states like South Carolina and Georgia would refuse to join the Union. By sidestepping the issue, the framers laid the groundwork for future conflict.

The controversy over the Atlantic slave trade was settled by compromise. In exchange for a 20-year ban on any restrictions on the trade, southern delegates agreed to remove a clause restricting the national government's power to enact laws requiring goods to be shipped on American vessels. The same day, the convention also adopted the fugitive slave clause, requiring the return of runaway slaves to their owners. The Constitution, therefore, temporarily strengthened slavery while also creating a central government powerful enough to eventually abolish the institution. On its 200th anniversary, Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to sit on the Supreme Court, called the document "defective from the start." He argued that the framers had consented to a document that "laid a foundation for the tragic events which were to follow."

Explore related products

A History of Violence (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]

$34.99 $49.95

History's Greatest Escapes with Morgan Freeman (TV Series)

$2.99

1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History--and How It Shattered a Nation

$26.21 $35

The Fate of the Day: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 (Revolution Trilogy, 2)

$24.46 $42

The framers' views on state vs. federal power

The framers of the US Constitution were a group of 55 delegates, representing a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership. The average age of the delegates was 42, with the youngest being 26 and the oldest 81. Over half of the delegates had graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. The framers were both young and experienced, with significant continental political experience.

The framers' views on state versus federal power were complex and influenced by their desire to balance centralised power with loyalty to their individual states. On one hand, the framers wanted to create a powerful central government to address the deficiencies they saw in the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress rule-making and funding powers but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. They also wanted to limit the influence of the voting public, particularly through their control over state governments, and shield the federal judiciary from populist influence. To achieve this, they established a system of electors chosen by the states to elect the president and ensured that senators were selected by state legislators rather than through direct popular vote.

On the other hand, the framers were wary of centralised power and wanted to maintain a balance between state and federal authority. They bypassed state legislatures during the ratification process, instead opting for special ratifying conventions in each state. They also compromised on congressional representation, agreeing to give each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. Additionally, they allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808, demonstrating their willingness to accommodate state interests.

The framers' views on state versus federal power reflected their desire to create a strong central government while also preserving a degree of state autonomy and representation. They sought to limit the influence of the voting public and protect the interests of the federal government through the establishment of a nationwide system of courts. Overall, their approach to state and federal power contributed to the creation of one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

The framers' views on the role of the judiciary

The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention, also referred to as framers, represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership. The average age of the delegates was 42, with the youngest being 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton and the oldest being 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. The vast majority were well-educated and prosperous, and all were prominent in their respective states, with over 70% serving in Congress when the convention was proposed. Over half of the delegates graduated from college, with nine from Princeton and six from British universities. The rest were either homeschooled, received tutoring, completed apprenticeships, or were self-educated.

The Framers were prepared to have a country with only one federal court: the Supreme Court. This meant that for most complaints, individuals would have to go to state courts, which could be subject to varying state laws and procedures. However, the establishment of the Supreme Court as the highest court in the land ensured that federal law would be the "supreme Law of the Land."

The Framers also understood the potential for conflict between state courts and the federal government, and so they left the extent and shape of the federal court system to be determined through political processes. Today, the federal court system includes trial courts, courts of appeals, and the Supreme Court, with about 800 federal judges appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. While state courts still decide many more cases than federal courts, federal courts have played a crucial role in protecting the rights of individuals, including those who have experienced discrimination or violations of their constitutional rights.

Frequently asked questions