Fact #1: These seven men are the principal Founding
Fathers: Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, Jay, and James Madison.
While there have been many others who contributed to the founding of the United States, these seven are considered by most the Founding Fathers. All of them played key roles in the securing of American independence from Great Britain and in the creation of the government of the United States of America.
Fact #2: There are many others who are contemplated founding fathers.
While the principle seven contributed immensely to the founding, there are dozens of others who played smaller but beneficial roles. Mason, Henry, John Hancock, Marshall, and Adams are some of those, just to call a few. There have been 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence and 39 signers of the United States Constitution. Additionally, to men, women also played important roles, like Abigail Adams and Mercy Otis Warren.
Fact #3: Each Founding Father offered unique contributions to the creation of the republic.
While the contributions of men like Washington and Thomas Jefferson are more well known, the writings, thoughts, and actions of various others influenced the ultimate shape of our nation. Some thought, some wrote, some fought, and a few served in public office, but all of them contributed in how.
Fact #4: The Founding Fathers are the foremost important people to study to gain an understanding of the American ideals of freedom and liberty.
The lives of those men are essential to understanding the American form of government and our ideals of liberty. The Founding Fathers were ready to do what had only been dreamed of in Europe. How they accomplished what they did is important in the study of American history and in understanding the global and timeless impacts of their work.
Fact #5: While all of them played important roles, the Founding Fathers often disagreed with one another.
The Founding Fathers are often viewed as largely in agreement and are often mentioned as a single entity that all worked together to create one American nation. Actually, they had extremely different views on all sorts of issues, including the role of the federal, the difficulty of slavery, and the way radical or moderate the American Revolution should be. At times, these differences of opinion destroyed friendships and threatened to tug the country apart.
Fact #6: Most of the Founding Fathers were young men once they created the Nation.
Often viewed as old men with white wigs and dentures, many of the Founding Fathers were quite young once they helped create the Country. Washington was 43 years old when he accepted command of the American Army during the war. Jefferson was 33 when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Adams was 40 when he argued for American independence. Madison was 36 years old when he was at the Constitutional Convention. Jay was 43 when he became the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Hamilton was 33 years old when he was made Secretary of the Treasury. The oldest was Franklin, who was 70 years old at the Second Continental Congress.
Fact #7: The phrase "Founding Fathers" was publicized by Warren G. Harding.
Now a commonly used phrase, the term didn't appear widely until after the 29th President of the United States, Warren G. Harding, began using it in many of his speeches in the late 1910s and early 1920s.
Fact #8: Many of the Founding Fathers feared following generations won't be capable of maintaining American liberty.
Like other generations, many of the founders were unsure if succeeding generations would be up to the task of protecting the freedom they had successfully secured. When Franklin was asked after signing the Constitution if they had created a monarchy or a republic, Franklin replied: “A republic, if you'll keep it.”
Fact #9: The Founding Fathers weren't perfect.
While the founders created a sort of government unlike any other in the world of that time, they were far away from perfect people. Nearly half of them were slaveholders, and all of them profited from the system of slavery in the United States. The state they created ensured that the rights of white, property-owning men were protected, but it might take almost 200 years to ensure that all Americans were provided those same protections.
Fact #10: The Founding Fathers left an exceptional legacy in world history.
Perhaps quite any other group of people in history, this small group of men distilled years of enlightenment thought into a sort of government that sought to restrict central power, protect the rights of the citizens, and make sure the consent of the governed. To realize this, they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. These ideals they put into action, we still believe in the present day.
You must be logged in to post a comment.