Isabella Carter
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, and established the United States of America. 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 average age of the Founding Fathers was 43, with some being older, such as Thomas Jefferson, who was in his early 30s at the time of the Declaration and 46 when the Constitution was ratified, and Benjamin Franklin, who was 69 at the time of the Declaration and 81 when the Constitution was ratified. Others were much younger, including teenagers such as James Monroe, who was 18, and Alexander Hamilton, who was 21.
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What You'll Learn
The average age of the Founding Fathers was 43
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. 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 average age of the Founding Fathers was 43.
The Founding Fathers were, for the most part, native-born and of British heritage, including Scots, Irish, and Welsh. Nearly half were lawyers, while the remainder were primarily businessmen and planter-farmers. Many of them were wealthy slave-owners before and after the country's founding.
The Founding Fathers were of varying ages. The majority of the Founding Fathers of the United States were under 40. Some were older, like Thomas Jefferson, who was in his early 30s at the time of the Declaration, but 46 when the Constitution was ratified. John Hancock was 39, and Benjamin Franklin was 69 at the time of the Declaration. Others were shockingly young — even teenagers. James Monroe, for example, was 18, and Alexander Hamilton was 21.
The single person most identified as the ""Father" of the United States is George Washington, a general in the American Revolution and the nation's first president. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison served as the first four presidents; Adams and Jefferson were the nation's first two vice presidents.
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The oldest Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, was 81
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of revolutionary leaders in the latter half of the 18th century. They united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Britain, and established the United States of America. 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 Founding Fathers were of various ages, with some being older, like Thomas Jefferson, who was in his early 30s at the time of the Declaration, and John Hancock, who was 39. Many others were much younger, even teenagers, like James Monroe, who was 18, and Alexander Hamilton, who was 21. The average age of the Founding Fathers was 43, and the youngest delegate at the Constitutional Convention was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton.
The Founding Fathers were leaders in their communities and colonies, and they were willing to assume responsibility for public affairs. Nearly half were lawyers, while the rest were primarily businessmen and planter-farmers. Most were of English ancestry, though many had family roots across the British Isles, and some had lineage tracing back to early Dutch settlers or French Huguenots.
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Many Founding Fathers were under 40
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. 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.
Many of the Founding Fathers were under 40 years old. The average age of the founders was 43, and only a few were born after 1750 and thus in their 20s. The Founding Fathers were of two generations, the younger of whom were not present for the Declaration of Independence, as they were 15 or 16 years old. Alexander Hamilton, for example, was 19 and a college student when the Continental Congress was meeting. James Monroe was 18, and Hamilton himself was 21.
Many of the Founding Fathers made their bigger contributions to the early U.S. government when they were older. Alexander Hamilton was in his 30s when he wrote the Federalist Papers and served as the Treasury Secretary. Thomas Jefferson was in his early 30s at the time of the Declaration of Independence, but 46 when the Constitution was ratified. James Madison, who succeeded Jefferson as the fourth President of the United States, was also one of the younger Founding Fathers. He was the connective tissue between ideas and institutions, giving voice to the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers who were present at the Constitutional Convention ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81.
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Some Founding Fathers were teenagers
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. 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 average age of the Founding Fathers was 43. Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706, was the oldest, at 81 years old. The youngest delegate, Jonathan Dayton, was 26. However, some of the Founding Fathers were teenagers when the Continental Congress was meeting. Alexander Hamilton, for example, was 19 and a college student. James Monroe was 18, and Alexander Hamilton was 21 when the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776.
The Founding Fathers were primarily of two generations. The younger generation, who were 15 or 16 years old during the Declaration of Independence, had no part aside from being in the Army until the Constitutional Convention 11 years later. By the time of the Constitutional Convention, the men we think of as the Founding Fathers were mostly in their 40s and older. Thomas Jefferson, for example, was in his early 30s at the time of the Declaration, but 46 when the Constitution was ratified.
Many of the Founding Fathers were of English ancestry, though some had family roots extending across various regions of the British Isles, including Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Some traced their lineage back to the early Dutch settlers of New York during the colonial era, while others were descendants of French Huguenots who settled in the colonies, escaping religious persecution in France.
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The Founding Fathers were from two generations
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, and established the United States of America. They crafted a framework for the government of the new nation, with the single person most identified as the "Father" of the United States being George Washington, the nation's first president and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
The average age of the Founding Fathers was 43, with Benjamin Franklin, born in 1706, being the oldest at 81 at the time of the Constitutional Convention. Only a few were born after 1750 and thus were in their 20s. The youngest delegate at the Constitutional Convention was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26.
The Founding Fathers were primarily wealthy, native-born men of British heritage, with English being the most common ancestry. Many were slave owners before and after the country's founding. Nearly half were lawyers, while the remainder were mainly businessmen and planter-farmers.
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Frequently asked questions
The average age of the Founding Fathers was 43.
The youngest Founding Fathers were in their late teens, such as James Monroe, who was 18, and Alexander Hamilton, who was 21. Jonathan Dayton was the youngest delegate at the Constitutional Convention at 26.
The oldest Founding Father was Benjamin Franklin, aged 81 at the Constitutional Convention.
No, some Founding Fathers did not attend the Constitutional Convention, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock.
The Founding Fathers were a group of American revolutionary leaders in the latter half of the 18th century. They united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, and established the United States of America. The Founding Fathers include those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States.
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