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, 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 Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. The Founding Fathers were wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, so they created a powerful central government. Many of them were wealthy slave owners before and after the country's founding. 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. The Founding Fathers' political leanings have shifted over time, with the phrase Founding Fathers first being used by Republican US Senator Warren G. Harding in 1916.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding Fathers | George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay |
| Military leaders who fought in the Revolutionary War | |
| Wealthy slave owners | |
| Writers, orators, and other influential figures | |
| Political leanings | Opposed direct democracy and mob rule |
| Favored representative democracy | |
| Feared a strong central government | |
| Supported states' rights | |
| Supported agrarianism | |
| Political parties | Federalists (Alexander Hamilton, John Jay) |
| Democratic-Republicans (Thomas Jefferson, James Madison) | |
| Anti-Federalists (Thomas Jefferson) |
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What You'll Learn
The Founding Fathers
Some of the key Founding Fathers include:
- George Washington: Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, and the first President of the United States.
- John Adams: Member of the Committee of Five charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence, negotiator of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, and the second President of the United States.
- Thomas Jefferson: Member of the Committee of Five, influential in the design of the Constitution, and the third President of the United States.
- Benjamin Franklin: Member of the Committee of Five, author of influential state constitutions, and signer of the Constitution.
- John Jay: Negotiator of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, author of the influential New York Constitution, and an architect of peace and law.
- James Madison: Co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party, author of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, and a key contributor to the framework of the American government.
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The Constitution's design
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of 18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence, 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 Founding Fathers, despite their reputation as stalwart champions of democracy, were an elite class who feared mob rule and debated extensively about the structure of the new government. They ultimately rejected both direct democracy and hereditary monarchy, opting instead for a representative democracy where power is derived from the people but exercised by elected representatives.
The Constitution was originally written to determine the number of members of the House of Representatives based on state population, while each state had an equal number of senators chosen by state legislatures. However, this led to issues when politicization of state legislatures resulted in empty seats. The 17th Amendment, passed in 1912 and ratified in 1913, addressed this by allowing voters to directly elect their senators.
The Founding Fathers' accomplishments and shortcomings are viewed within the context of their time. While they are recognized for uniting the colonies and establishing a framework for the nation, they are also criticized for their inability to address issues such as slavery and the debt that remained after the Revolutionary War.
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The Bill of Rights
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 Founding Fathers were an elite class—they feared mob rule and debated vigorously about how the new government should be structured. Most of them were opposed to a direct democracy, in which the electorate determines policy themselves instead of having representatives. They also did not want a hereditary monarchy in the United States. Thus, the notion of a representative democracy emerged as the best option for the new nation.
The Founding Fathers were not affiliated with the modern Democratic or Republican parties, as these parties did not exist at the time. However, historians have identified two factions among the Founding Fathers: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists or Democratic-Republicans. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights and decentralized power.
The Democratic-Republican Party, also known as the Jeffersonian Republican Party, was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early 1790s. The party championed liberalism, republicanism, individual liberty, equal rights, separation of church and state, freedom of religion, anti-clericalism, emancipation of religious minorities, decentralization, free markets, free trade, and agrarianism. The party was strongest in the South and attracted wealthy Southern slaveowners, middle-class Northerners, farmers, and artisans.
In summary, while the Founding Fathers were not members of modern political parties, they did have differing political beliefs that can be loosely grouped into Federalist and Anti-Federalist or Democratic-Republican ideologies. The Bill of Rights was a significant addition to the Constitution, reflecting the Founding Fathers' desire to protect individual liberties and limit the power of the central government.
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The Federalist Papers
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 them were wealthy slave owners before and after the country's founding.
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The Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republicans were deeply committed to the principles of republicanism, fearing that these ideals were threatened by the aristocratic tendencies of the Federalists. They strongly opposed Federalist programs, including the national bank, and were hostile to Great Britain while sympathizing with the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. The party was strongest in the South and the western frontier and weakest in New England.
However, the Democratic-Republican Party began to splinter during the 1824 presidential election, with factions forming around rival candidates John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Those who supported Adams became known as the National Republican Party, which later merged into the Whig Party. The faction backing Jackson, who believed in Jeffersonian democracy, became the Democratic Party. Thus, the Democratic-Republican Party is considered the direct antecedent of the modern Democratic Party.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution of the United States is a legal document that outlines the framework and powers of the country's government. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with one additional signature for an absent delegate, bringing the total to 39 signatures.
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of late-18th-century American revolutionary leaders who played a significant role in establishing the nation. They include individuals who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. Notable Founding Fathers include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison.
The concept of political parties as we know them today did not exist during the time of the Founding Fathers. However, some of the Founding Fathers' ideologies and beliefs can be considered similar to modern-day Republican or Democratic values. For example, Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republican Party, which favoured states' rights and farmers' interests.
The Founding Fathers feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Articles of Confederation, which served as the first constitution, created a weak central government with limited powers, exacerbating these issues. The Constitution was created to establish a more powerful central government and address the challenges facing the nation.
The perception of the Founding Fathers has evolved since the 19th century. While they were once viewed as demigods who established the nation, scholars now emphasize the need to consider their accomplishments and shortcomings within the context of their time. This includes recognizing their inability to adequately address issues such as slavery and the debt owed after the American Revolutionary War.
