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 U.S. government. The term refers to 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. The Founding Fathers include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin, among others. While the contributions of these men are well-known, women like Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Mercy Otis Warren also played important roles in the founding of the nation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Signers of the Declaration of Independence | George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, James Monroe, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, George Mason, Patrick Henry, John Marshall, and more |
| Framers of the Constitution | George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, James Monroe, and 47 others |
| Writers of The Federalist Papers | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army | George Washington |
| First four presidents | George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison |
| First two vice presidents | John Adams and Thomas Jefferson |
| First chief justice | John Jay |
| First secretary of the treasury | Alexander Hamilton |
| First secretary of state | Thomas Jefferson |
| Senior diplomat from the start of the Revolutionary War | Benjamin Franklin |
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What You'll Learn
The Founding Fathers' views on slavery
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. Despite this, he wrote that he believed slavery to be a political and moral evil and wished to see it abolished. However, he never personally freed his slaves, and when he died in debt, his slaves were sold off to the highest bidder.
Other Founding Fathers, such as Alexander Hamilton, married into large slave-owning families. Hamilton himself opposed slavery, as his experiences left him familiar with its effects on both slaves and slaveholders. However, he negotiated slave transactions for his wife's family, and evidence suggests he may have owned a house slave. After the Jay Treaty was signed, Hamilton advocated for the return of American slaves freed by the British during the war to their former enslavers.
During the era of the Articles of Confederation (1781-89), the Founding Fathers, with the exception of those from South Carolina and Georgia, exhibited considerable aversion to slavery. They prohibited the importation of foreign slaves to individual states and supported a proposal by Jefferson to ban slavery in the Northwest Territory. However, these policies also served the interests of Virginia and Maryland slaveholders, who could then sell their surplus slaves southward and westward at higher prices. Additionally, the ban on slavery in the Northwest tacitly legitimised the expansion of slavery in the Southwest.
During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Founding Fathers drafted a series of constitutional clauses acknowledging regional differences over slavery while requiring all sections of the country to compromise. They granted slave-holding states the right to count three-fifths of their slave population when apportioning the number of representatives in Congress, enhancing Southern power in the House of Representatives. This ratio was also used to determine the federal tax contribution required of each state, increasing the direct federal tax burden of slave-holding states.
In summary, while the Founding Fathers' views on slavery were varied, many of them owned slaves and were complicit in the institution of slavery. Some expressed a desire to see slavery abolished, but their simultaneous commitment to private property rights, limited government, and intersectional harmony prevented them from taking bold action against it. The economic, political, and social divide between the North and South over slavery ultimately contributed to the Civil War in 1861.
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The Founding Fathers' writings
The Founding Fathers of the United States played a crucial role in shaping the nation's independence, government, and ideals. They were the principal architects of the Constitution, which defines the framework of the federal government and the rights of its citizens. The Founding Fathers' writings, including their letters, journals, and other documents, provide valuable insights into their thoughts, ideologies, and the motivations behind the creation of the Constitution.
One of the most influential writings of the Founding Fathers is the Federalist Papers, authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. These papers advocated for the ratification of the Constitution and are considered a crucial interpretation of the founding document. Hamilton, in particular, played a significant role in shaping the early government. He opposed slavery and negotiated slave transactions for his wife's family, highlighting the complexities of the issue during that era.
Other notable Founding Fathers and their contributions include George Washington, who was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later became the first president of the United States; Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence and served as the first vice president and secretary of state; John Adams, who argued for American independence and served as the nation's second president and vice president; and Benjamin Franklin, who was the oldest at 70 years old during the Second Continental Congress and was America's most senior diplomat during the Revolutionary War.
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The Founding Fathers' thoughts
The Founding Fathers played a crucial role in shaping the Constitution of the United States. They were the prominent statesmen of America's Revolutionary generation, responsible for winning colonial independence from Great Britain, the liberal ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, and the republican form of government defined in the Constitution.
The Founding Fathers were instrumental in drafting and ratifying the Constitution, which defines the framework of the US federal government. They held diverse views and often disagreed with each other, but their collective efforts and unique contributions helped create the American nation. The term "Founding Fathers" refers to those who made significant contributions to the founding of the nation, including signers of key documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution.
George Washington, for example, served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and was later president of the Constitutional Convention. He, along with Adams, Jefferson, and Madison, served as one of the first four presidents of the United States. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay authored the Federalist Papers, which advocated for the ratification of the Constitution. Hamilton also played a role in negotiating slave transactions, and despite his opposition to slavery, there is evidence suggesting he may have owned a house slave.
Other Founding Fathers, such as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison, left behind a wealth of writings, thoughts, and actions that influenced the course of the nation. The list of Founding Fathers also includes influential women, such as Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and Mercy Otis Warren, who made significant contributions despite their roles often being obscured by the "Founding Fathers" label.
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The Founding Fathers' actions
The Founding Fathers played a crucial role in shaping the United States of America as we know it today. They were responsible for the successful war for colonial independence from Great Britain, the liberal ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, and the republican form of government defined in the United States Constitution. 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.
The Founding Fathers were statesmen, soldiers, and politicians, and their actions were driven by their political ideals and beliefs. George Washington, for example, was the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and played a crucial role in the American Revolution. He also presided over the Constitutional Convention and, later, became the first president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, also served as the nation's third president and its first secretary of state.
Other Founding Fathers also held important roles in the early government of the United States. John Adams, who argued for American independence at age 40, became the nation's second president and its first vice president. James Madison, who was 36 at the Constitutional Convention, went on to become the fourth president. John Jay, who was 43 when he became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, is also considered a Founding Father. Alexander Hamilton, who was made Secretary of the Treasury at 33, is known for his opposition to slavery and his role in negotiating the Jay Treaty.
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The Founding Fathers' disagreements
The Founding Fathers of the United States were the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787. These men drafted the four parchment pages of the original Constitution, which established the nation's character. The Founding Fathers held different roles in the early government of the United States. For example, George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later became president of the Constitutional Convention. Alexander Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury, and James Madison was one of the writers of the Federalist Papers, which advocated for the ratification of the Constitution.
Despite their collective achievement, the Founding Fathers did not always agree. They vehemently disagreed on important issues, but a rule of secrecy allowed them to express their disagreements freely and change their minds without being concerned about public opinion. One issue that divided them was how to elect the president. The Founding Fathers struggled to decide between an election by the people or the Electoral College. Ultimately, they voted against some version of the proposal on numerous occasions between early June and early September 1787, only agreeing to the version contained in the modern Constitution (modified by the Twelfth Amendment) out of desperation. Their difficulty in deciding how to elect the president may have been due to their fear that the people of the nation could not be trusted to make a wise choice, not because they distrusted their intelligence but because they were concerned about the provincialism of the thirteen "independent" states.
Another issue that caused disagreement among the Founding Fathers was slavery. While some Founding Fathers, such as Alexander Hamilton, opposed slavery due to their personal experiences with it, others had more complicated relationships with it. For example, Hamilton negotiated slave transactions for his wife's family and may have owned a house slave. Additionally, slaves and slavery are mentioned indirectly in the 1787 Constitution, indicating that the Founding Fathers made some efforts to contain slavery. However, the Three-Fifths Compromise in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3, prescribed that "three-fifths of all other Persons" would be counted for the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives and direct taxes. This compromise reflected the ongoing disagreement and struggle to address slavery during the Constitutional Convention.
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Frequently asked questions
The Founding Fathers were responsible for the creation of the United States Constitution, which defines the framework of the Federal Government of the United States. They were also instrumental in the country's independence from Great Britain and the liberal ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence.
The Founding Fathers include the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. Some of the prominent Founding Fathers were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin.
The Founding Fathers held important roles in the early US government. George Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison served as the first four presidents. Adams and Jefferson were the first two vice presidents. John Jay was the first chief justice, and Alexander Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury.
