Malcolm Rivera
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of men who played pivotal roles in America's independence from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States government. They include those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution of the United States, as well as certain military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Many of them were young when they helped create the country. For example, Thomas Jefferson was 33 when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison was 36 when he attended the Constitutional Convention. The Founding Fathers made some efforts to contain slavery, though nearly half of them were slaveholders, and all of them profited from the system of slavery in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Signers of key documents | Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and U.S. Constitution |
| Occupations | Military personnel, writers, lawyers, politicians, diplomats, inventors, educators, and more |
| Age | Many were young when they contributed to the founding of the country |
| Education | Some attended colleges in the American colonies or abroad, while others were homeschooled, self-educated, or received no formal education |
| Slavery | Nearly half were slaveholders, and all profited from the system of slavery |
| Disagreements | Despite being viewed as largely in agreement, they had extremely different views on issues such as the role of the federal government, slavery, and the American Revolution |
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What You'll Learn
The Founding Fathers wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence
The Founding Fathers of the United States are the historical figures who are considered to have played a pivotal role in the creation of the country and its government. The Founding Fathers wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress, who convened in Philadelphia. The Declaration was authored by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the document in isolation between June 11 and June 28, 1776. Jefferson was just 33 years old at the time. The Declaration was edited by the Second Continental Congress, and there were 56 signatories to the document.
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most influential documents in history. It sets out the reasons for the Thirteen Colonies' independence from Great Britain, explaining why they regarded themselves as independent sovereign states no longer subject to British colonial rule. The Declaration also expresses the ideals on which the United States was founded.
The Founding Fathers who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence are considered to have made an essential contribution to the creation of the American republic. Their work in drafting and enacting the Declaration helped to shape the nation's government and its ideals of liberty.
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They also wrote and signed the Articles of Confederation
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of individuals who played pivotal roles in the country's independence from Great Britain and the establishment of its government. The term "Founding Fathers" typically refers to the drafters and signatories of key documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. These documents, known as the Charters of Freedom, secured the rights of Americans and formed the philosophical foundation of the nation.
The Articles of Confederation served as the first constitution of the United States, adopted in the colonial capital of Philadelphia by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. However, it was not ratified until March 1, 1781, as all 13 states had to agree on amendments to the document. The Articles established the United States as a confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government, referred to as the United States in Congress Assembled. This body had limited powers, including the ability to declare war, sign treaties, and manage territorial issues.
The Founding Fathers who signed the Articles of Confederation included Roger Sherman, who also signed the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Sherman had served in the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Connecticut House of Representatives, and as a Justice of the Peace before becoming a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Other notable signatories of the Articles included John Hancock, a prominent patriot and merchant, and Robert Morris, a wealthy merchant and financier of the American Revolution.
The Articles of Confederation reflected the Founding Fathers' desire to balance state autonomy with a unified national identity. However, the document's weaknesses, particularly regarding the central government's limited powers, became apparent over time. As a result, the Founding Fathers convened to draft and adopt the United States Constitution, which replaced the Articles as the supreme law of the land.
The process of drafting and ratifying the Articles of Confederation was a significant step in the Founding Fathers' efforts to establish a nation founded on liberty and independence. Despite the eventual replacement of the Articles, they represented the Founding Fathers' early attempts to create a functioning and unified nation, laying the groundwork for the more robust and enduring framework established by the United States Constitution.
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Many Founding Fathers were slave owners
The Founding Fathers of the United States were those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution, as well as certain military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and others who greatly assisted in the nation's formation. Many of the Founding Fathers were born into a slaveholding society, and nearly half of them were slave owners themselves. The majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and nearly half of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned slaves. Four of the first five presidents of the United States were also slave owners.
George Washington, the Founding Father most identified as the "Father" of the United States, owned hundreds of slaves. However, during the Revolutionary War, his views began to change, and he wrote that he wished to get clear of owning slaves. When he died, he freed the slaves he owned in his will, the only Founding Father to do so. Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the words ""all men are created equal" in the Declaration of Independence, also owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life and may have fathered children with one of them, Sally Hemings. While Jefferson wrote that he believed slavery to be a political and moral evil, he never personally freed his slaves, and when he died, they were sold off to cover his debts. James Madison, another Founding Father, also held slaves and made his living off of plantation agriculture. However, by the end of his life, Madison attempted to ensure that his slaves were freed, but his wife sold off many of them to cover their debts.
The issue of slavery proved to be a difficult and controversial topic for the Founding Fathers to navigate. While some colonies were for slavery and others against it, the institution had deep roots in American society, and nearly all of the Founding Fathers profited from the system of slavery in some way. As the ideals of the Enlightenment began to spread through the American colonies in the 1760s and 1770s, the articulation of liberty and freedom clashed with the reality of slavery, creating vast regional and political divides. While some Founding Fathers, like Washington and Madison, came to view slavery as morally questionable and contradictory to the principles on which the nation was founded, others failed to rise above their time and place, unable to escape the backward ways of the past.
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Some Founding Fathers attended college
The Founding Fathers of the United States were a group of revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, oversaw the War of Independence from Great Britain, and established the United States of America. They 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 attended college, receiving a classical education that focused on Latin and Greek. John Adams and John Hancock attended Harvard, while Thomas Jefferson attended the College of William & Mary, where he studied science and law. Alexander Hamilton attended King's College, now Columbia University, where he studied Enlightenment philosophy, law, and revolutionary thought. James Madison had read works by classical authors such as Vergil, Horace, and Plato before attending the College of New Jersey, now Princeton.
Some of the Founding Fathers received their education abroad, primarily in England and Scotland. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest of the Founding Fathers, did not attend college but was self-educated, and brought his restless curiosity and civic purpose to the American experiment. George Washington, considered the single person most identified as "Father" of the United States, did not receive a formal education or college degree, but studied through private tutors and some local schooling.
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The Founding Fathers were not all in agreement
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. Signers of three key documents are generally considered to be Founding Fathers: the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.
While the Founding Fathers are often viewed as largely in agreement, they did not always see eye to eye. They had extremely different views on various issues, including the role of the federal government, the issue of slavery, and how radical or moderate the American Revolution should be. These differences of opinion sometimes destroyed friendships and threatened to divide the country.
For example, Jefferson, a champion of small government, wrestled with the decision to buy the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $15 million in 1803, as it was not explicitly allowed by the Constitution. He pushed ahead, sending Lewis and Clark on an expedition to explore the newly acquired land. However, his 1807 embargo on trade with Britain and France, aimed at avoiding the Napoleonic Wars, backfired, hurting merchants and testing his leadership.
The Founding Fathers also disagreed on the issue of slavery. Nearly half of them were slaveholders, and all of them profited from the system of slavery in the United States. While some, like Alexander Hamilton, opposed slavery, others, such as Henry Laurens, who ran the largest slave-trading house in North America, supported it. The nation they created ensured the rights of white, property-owning men, but it took almost 200 years to extend those same protections to all Americans.
In addition, the Founding Fathers had different visions for the country's democratic system. Many of them, including John Adams, did not want poor people or women to vote, and they wanted to limit the influence of the common man in state legislatures. They believed that the vote should be reserved for people of wealth and education and that the common people should participate indirectly through local government and protest actions.
Despite their differences, the Founding Fathers were able to come together and create a form of government that was unlike any other in the world at the time. They pledged their "lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" to establish a nation that restricted central power, protected the rights of citizens, and ensured the consent of the governed.
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Frequently asked questions
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. Other military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War and others who assisted in the nation's formation are also considered Founding Fathers.
Many of the Founding Fathers were young when they helped create the country. They often disagreed with each other and had extremely different views on issues including the role of the federal government, slavery, and the American Revolution. Nearly half of them were slaveholders and all of them profited from the system of slavery in the United States.
The Founding Fathers were able to do what had only been dreamed of in Europe. They created a form of government unlike any other in the world at that time. They also secured the rights of the American people through the Charters of Freedom, which include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Many of the Founding Fathers had diverse careers before they became involved in the drafting of the Constitution. For example, Alexander Hamilton rose from being an orphaned clerk to a constitutional force. Roger Sherman served in the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Connecticut House of Representatives, and as a Justice of the Peace before attending the Constitutional Convention as a delegate.
