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Founding Fathers of the United States From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Founding Fathers of the United States are those individuals of the Thirteen Colonies in North America who led the American Revolution against the authority of the British Crown in word and deed and contributed to the establishment of the United States of America.[2] Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Trumbull's Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas a painting by John Trumbull depicting Jefferson, James Madison, and George the Committee of Five presenting their Washington.[3][4] Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin draft to the Congress on June 28, 1776.[1] were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were authors of The Federalist Papers, advocating ratification of the Constitution. Jay, Adams and Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1783) that would end the American Revolutionary War.[5] Washington was Commander­in­Chief of the Continental Army and was President of the Constitutional Convention. Washington, Jay and Franklin are considered the Founding Fathers of U.S. Intelligence by the CIA.[6] All held additional important roles in the early government of the United States, with Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison serving as President. Four of these seven ­ Washington, Jay, Hamilton and Madison ­ did not sign the Declaration of Independence.[7] Signature page of Treaty of The term Founding Fathers is sometimes used to refer to Paris (1783); the treaty was the Signers of the embossed version of the Declaration of negotiated by John Adams, [8] Independence in 1776. It is not to be confused with the Benjamin Franklin and John term Framers; the Framers are defined by the National Jay Archives as those 55 individuals who were appointed to be delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and took part in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States. Of the 55 Framers, only 39 were signers of the Constitution.[9][10] Two further groupings of Founding Founders include: 1) those who signed the Continental Association, a trade ban and one of the colonists' first collective volleys protesting British control and the Intolerable Acts in 1774 [11] or 2) those who signed the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitutional document.[12] The phrase "Founding Fathers" is a twentieth­century appellation, first coined by Warren G. Harding in 1916.[13] In the 19th century, they were referred to as simply, the "Fathers". Some historians have begun to eschew the limiting Great Man theory associated with the term "Founding Fathers" and apply it to a broader group of people, that includes not only Morris' "Seven" or the Signers or the Framers but also all those, no matter their race or gender, who, whether as politicians, jurists, statesmen, soldiers, diplomats, or ordinary citizens, took part in winning U.S. independence and creating the United States of America.[14][15] Contents 1 Background 2 Interesting facts and commonalities 2.1 Education 2.1.1 Colleges attended 2.1.2 Advanced degrees and apprenticeships 2.1.2.1 Doctors of medicine 2.1.2.2 Theology 2.1.2.3 Legal apprenticeships 2.1.3 Self­taught or little formal education 2.2 Demographics 2.3 Political experience 2.4 Occupations and finances 2.5 Religion 2.6 Ownership of slaves and position on slavery 2.7 Attendance at conventions 2.8 Spouses and children 2.9 Charters of freedom and historical documents of the United States 2.10 Post­constitution life 2.11 Youth and longevity 2.12 Founders who were not signatories or delegates 3 Legacy 3.1 Institutions formed by Founders 3.2 Scholarship on the Founders 3.2.1 Living historians whose focus is the Founding Fathers 3.2.2 Noted collections of the Founding Fathers 3.3 In stage and film 3.4 Children's books 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links Background The First Continental Congress met briefly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1774 and consisted of fifty­six delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies (excluding Georgia) that became the United States of America. On the list of attendees was George Washington, who would soon be drawn out of military retirement to command the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Also in attendance was Patrick Henry, and John Adams, who were elected by their respective colonial The Albany Congress assemblies. Other notable delegates included Samuel Adams from of 1754 was a Massachusetts, John Dickinson from Pennsylvania and New conference attended by York's John Jay. This congress in addition to formulating appeals seven colonies, which to the British crown, established the Continental Association to presaged later efforts at administer boycott actions against Britain. cooperation. The Stamp Act Congress of When the Second Continental Congress came together on May 1765 included 10, 1775, it was, in effect, a reconvening of the First Congress. representatives from Many of the same 56 delegates who attended the first meeting nine colonies. participated in the second.[16] Notable new arrivals included Benjamin Franklin and Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, John Hancock of Massachusetts, and John Witherspoon of New Jersey. Hancock was elected Congress President two weeks into the session when Peyton Randolph was summoned back to Virginia to preside over the House of Burgesses. Thomas Jefferson replaced Randolph in the Virginia congressional delegation.[17] The second Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Witherspoon was the only active clergyman to sign the Declaration. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and attended the New Jersey (1787) convention that ratified the Federal Constitution.[18] The newly founded country of the United States had to create a new government to replace the British Parliament. The U.S. adopted the Articles of Confederation, a declaration that established a national government which was made up of a one­house legislature. Its ratification by all thirteen colonies gave the second Congress a new name: the Congress of the Confederation, which met from 1781 to 1789.[19] Later, the Constitutional Convention took place during the summer of 1787, in Philadelphia.[20] Although the Convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many – chiefly James Madison and Alexander Hamilton – was to create a new frame of government rather than attempting to fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was the United States Constitution. Interesting facts and commonalities The Founding Fathers represented a cross­section of 18th­century U.S. leadership. Almost all of them were well­educated men of means who were leaders in their communities. Many were also prominent in national affairs. Virtually every one had taken part in the American Revolution; at least 29 had served in the Continental Army, most of them in positions of command. Scholars have examined the collective biography of them as well as the signers of the Declaration and the Scene at the Signing of the Constitution Constitution.[21] of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy Education Many of the Founding Fathers attended or held degrees from the colonial colleges, the earliest of these being Harvard (1636), the College of William and Mary (1693), King William's School (1696) and Yale (1701). Some had previously been home schooled or obtained early instruction from private tutors or academies.[22] Others had studied abroad. Ironically, Benjamin Franklin who had little formal education himself would ultimately establish the University of Pennsylvania based on European models (1740); "Penn" would have the first medical school (1765) in the thirteen colonies where another Founder, Benjamin Rush would eventually teach. With a limited number of professional schools established in the U.S., Founders also sought advanced degrees from traditional institutions in England and Scotland such as the University of Edinburgh and University of St. Andrews. Colleges attended College of William and Mary: Thomas Jefferson [23] Harvard University: John Adams, John Hancock and William Williams George Washington King's College (today's Columbia University): John Jay, served as President of Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, Robert R. the 1787 Constitutional [24] Livingston, and Egbert Benson. Convention. Princeton: James Madison, Gunning Bedford, Jr., Aaron Burr, Benjamin Rush and William Paterson University of Pennsylvania: Hugh Williamson Yale: Oliver Wolcott James Wilson attended University of St. Andrews and University of Edinburgh though he never received a degree. Advanced degrees and apprenticeships Doctors of medicine University of Edinburgh: Rush [25] Benjamin Franklin, an University of Utrecht, Netherlands: Williamson early advocate of colonial unity, was a Theology foundational figure in defining the U.S. ethos University of Edinburgh: Witherspoon (attended, no degree) and exemplified the University of St. Andrews : Witherspoon (honorary emerging nation's doctorate) ideals. Legal apprenticeships Several like John Jay, James Wilson, John Williams and George Wythe[26] were trained as lawyers through apprenticeships in the colonies while a few trained at the Inns of Court in London. Self­taught or little formal education Franklin, Washington, John Williams and Henry Wisner had little

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