Simone Lawson
The U.S. Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, is the oldest written constitution in the world. It is a valuable part of American history, outlining the basic rules of the government. The Founding Fathers, a group of delegates or statesmen, came together to create the document. The list of Founding Fathers includes George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Adams, who all held important roles in the early government of the United States. The Founding Fathers wanted to establish a fair and balanced government with a separation of powers to prevent the misuse of power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates | 55 |
| Number of signatories | 38 or 39 |
| Age range of delegates | 26-81 |
| Youngest delegate | Jonathan Dayton |
| Oldest delegate | Benjamin Franklin |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| Number of first 10 amendments | 10 |
| First five presidents | Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe |
| First four presidents | Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison |
| First two vice presidents | Adams and Jefferson |
| First secretary of the treasury | Hamilton |
| First secretary of state | Jefferson |
| Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army | George Washington |
| America's most senior diplomat | Franklin |
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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 government and forged the nation. The first five US presidents are regarded as Founding Fathers: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Each of them served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. They all played key roles in securing American independence from Great Britain and in creating the government of the United States of America.
The phrase "Founding Fathers" was first used by US Senator Warren G. Harding in his keynote speech at the 1916 Republican National Convention. Harding later repeated the phrase at his 1921 presidential inauguration. The term was not used again during presidential inaugural ceremonies until Ronald Reagan referred to the "Founding Fathers" at both his first and second inaugurations in 1981 and 1985, respectively.
The Founding Fathers are often viewed as being in agreement and are often referred to as a single entity that worked together to create one American nation. However, they had extremely different views on a variety of issues, including the role of the federal government, slavery, and the radicalism of the American Revolution. These differences of opinion sometimes destroyed friendships and threatened to pull the country apart.
The Founding Fathers are often regarded as occupying a privileged position in the American imagination, akin to demigods. However, this perception has been re-evaluated in recent years, with scholars emphasising the need to view their accomplishments and shortcomings within the context of their time. While some Founding Fathers are well-known, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, others, like George Mason and Patrick Henry, played smaller but still valuable roles.
The signers of three key documents are generally considered to be the Founding Fathers: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention are referred to as framers, and some sources regard all framers as founders, including those who did not sign. The Founding Fathers also included Revolutionary War military leaders, as well as prominent writers, orators, and other men and women who contributed to the cause.
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The Articles of Confederation
The delegates to the Continental Congress agreed to state-by-state voting and proportional state tax burdens based on land values. However, they left the issue of state claims to western lands unresolved, which became a point of contention during the ratification process. The Articles were submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777, with Virginia being the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777. By February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles, with Maryland as the lone holdout. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation as the law of the land.
Despite being the first constitution of the United States, the Articles of Confederation had several shortcomings. The central government had limited power to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or support a war effort. It also lacked the ability to effectively settle disputes between states. These limitations, along with disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatened to tear the young nation apart. As a result, a Constitutional Convention was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger central government.
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Ratification of the Constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, marking a significant step towards establishing a government for the newly independent nation. However, the signing alone did not bring the Constitution into force. The process of ratification by the states was required to enact the new government.
The Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia from May to September 1787, culminated in 38 delegates signing the Constitution. The document was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City, the nation's temporary capital, within three days of its signing. Recognising the limitations of the Articles of Confederation, which gave limited powers to the central government, Congress voted to forward the proposal to the 13 states for their ratification.
The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution, bypassing the state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. This approach was taken because members of the state legislatures were expected to be reluctant to cede power to a national government. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government, according to Article VII of the proposed Constitution.
The ratification process was highly contested, with two factions emerging: the Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. The Federalists, including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, advocated for a stronger central government. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists feared the creation of a powerful central government that resembled the one they had overthrown, and they objected to the lack of a bill of rights. The debate was intense, with concerns over congressional representation, slavery, and individual liberties taking centre stage.
The tide turned in Massachusetts, where a "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, tipping the balance in favour of the Federalists. This marked a significant milestone in the ratification process, as the new government could now be formed without unanimous approval from all 13 states.
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The role of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two opposing political factions that emerged during the debate over the ratification of the US Constitution in 1787. The Federalists were the nationalists who supported the ratification of the Constitution, believing that a strong central government was necessary to address the challenges facing the nation. They argued that the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution, gave too much power to the state governments and lacked the necessary enforcement powers to regulate commerce or print money. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington were among the prominent Federalists who feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes among the states.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the ratification of the Constitution. They believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government at the expense of the states and the people. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, the Anti-Federalists worried that the position of the president might evolve into a monarchy, and that the Constitution lacked a bill of rights to protect individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists never organized efficiently across all thirteen states, so they had to fight the ratification at every state convention.
The Federalists played a significant role in shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national government. They advocated for a more centralized form of government, arguing that it was necessary to address the challenges facing the nation, such as disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Federalists also believed that a strong central government was needed to represent the interests of urban areas, which many of them represented.
The Anti-Federalists, despite their disorganization, made a significant contribution by forcing the first Congress under the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights. They believed that the Constitution, as written, would be oppressive and erode state sovereignty. The Anti-Federalists generally came from rural areas and were concerned about protecting the interests of small towns and farmers. They believed that a large central government would not serve their interests and that the Constitution needed to provide stronger representation for the states.
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The separation of powers
The US Constitution was written by a group of men known as the Founding Fathers. 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 respective colonies who were willing to assume responsibility for public affairs. The list of Founding Fathers is often expanded to include the signers of the Declaration of Independence and individuals who later approved the US Constitution.
The Founding Fathers were influenced by the political theorist Baron Charles de Montesquieu, who wrote about the separation of powers concept almost 100 years before the US Constitution was drafted. The separation of powers is a well-known concept derived from the text and structure of the Constitution. The Framers' experience with the British monarchy informed their belief that concentrating distinct governmental powers in a single entity would subject the nation's people to arbitrary and oppressive government action.
Thus, in order to preserve individual liberty, the Framers sought to ensure that a separate and independent branch of the Federal Government would exercise each of the government's three basic functions: legislative, executive, and judicial. The Constitution divides governmental power among three branches by vesting the Legislative Power of the Federal Government in Congress; the Executive Power in the President; and the Judicial Power in the Supreme Court and any lower courts created by Congress.
The Framers' separation of power was not rigid, but incorporated a system of checks and balances whereby one branch could check the powers assigned to another. For example, the Constitution allows the President to veto legislation, but requires the President to gain the Senate's consent to appoint executive officers and judges or enter into treaties. The Supreme Court has also raised concerns about the judiciary encroaching on the legislative or executive spheres.
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Frequently asked questions
The Founding Fathers were a group of delegates or statesmen who worked together to create the government of the United States of America. They are regarded as the upper echelon of political leadership in the British colonies during the latter half of the 18th century. Some of the Founding Fathers include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.
The U.S. Constitution is a valuable part of American history. It is the "Supreme Law of the Land" that lays out the basic rules of the government. It is the oldest and shortest written national constitution in the world. The Founding Fathers wanted a fair and balanced government with a separation of powers to prevent the misuse of power.
The Founding Fathers were the framers of the Constitution. They set the terms for ratifying the Constitution, bypassing state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. 39 or 38 Founding Fathers signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, enacting the new government.
The Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution to address the problems with America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitution was designed to limit government power and establish rules for each part of the government.
