Founding Fathers of the United States
U.S. senator Warren G. Harding introduced the phrase Founding Fathers to Americans during his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention in 1916. He repeated the term again on the 4th of March 1921, during his presidential inauguration. Before this moment, the word fathers had long been used for founders, but no single label captured the group as a collective entity. John Adams once wrote to Josiah Quincy III in 1811 that he had no reason to believe they were better than their successors. Adams also stated that titles like Father or Founder belonged to the American people in general, not any individual man. Thomas Jefferson referred to early settlers as forefathers in his second inaugural address of 1805. John Quincy Adams called the U.S. Constitution the work of our forefathers during his 1825 inauguration. The terms appeared frequently throughout the nineteenth century, from Martin Van Buren's 1837 inauguration to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863. James M. Beck delivered an address titled Founders of the Republic at a 1902 celebration of Washington's Birthday in Brooklyn. Beck noted that these fathers of the republic were for the most part young men.
Historian Richard B. Morris identified seven figures as key founders based on what he called the triple tests of leadership, longevity, and statesmanship. His list included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Most of the Founding Fathers had ancestry traceable back to England, though many had family roots extending across Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Some traced lineage to early Dutch settlers of New York while others were descendants of French Huguenots escaping religious persecution in France. Many were wealthy merchants, lawyers, landowners, and slaveowners. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin formed the Committee of Five charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence. Franklin, Adams, and John Jay negotiated the Treaty of Paris in 1783 which established American independence and ended the Revolutionary War. The constitutions drafted by Jay and Adams for New York in 1777 and Massachusetts in 1780 proved influential in developing the U.S. Constitution. The Federalist Papers advocated ratification of the Constitution and were written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay. Washington served as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later presided over the Constitutional Convention. Each of these men held additional important roles in the early government of the United States.
George Washington commanded the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and became a revolutionary hero before serving as president starting in April 1789. Henry Knox served as chief artillery officer in most of Washington's campaigns. His earliest achievement was capturing over 50 pieces of artillery at Fort Ticonderoga in New York. This capture helped Washington take Boston in early 1776. Knox became the first secretary of war under the U.S. Constitution in 1789. Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French marquis, became a Continental Army general who served without pay. He brought a ship to America and outfitted it for war at his own expense. Cato, a Black Patriot and slave, served as a spy alongside his owner Hercules Mulligan. Cato carried intelligence gathered by Mulligan to officers in the Continental Army through British-held territory. This service likely saved George Washington's life on at least two occasions. Cato received freedom in 1778 for his service. Nathan Hale was captured and executed in 1776 for spying on the British in New York. John Paul Jones replied to British surrender requests with the words I have not yet begun to fight. The Battle of Saratoga and the Siege of Yorktown primarily ended fighting between American and British forces.
The Constitutional Convention met in the Pennsylvania State House from May 14 through the 17th of September 1787. Fifty-five delegates attended representing a cross-section of eighteenth-century American leadership. A quorum finally present on May 25 elected Washington as convention president after an eleven-day delay. Four days later the convention adopted a rule of secrecy allowing delegates to speak freely. Virginia governor Edmund Randolph introduced the Virginia Plan proposing three branches: executive, bicameral legislature, and judiciary. William Paterson of New Jersey presented the New Jersey Plan retaining most Articles provisions including one-house legislature. Larger states favored proportional representation while smaller states wanted equal legislators per state. Roger Sherman of Connecticut introduced the Connecticut Compromise by mid-July when debates reached an impasse. The compromise called for a House elected proportionally and a Senate where all states had same number of seats. On July 16 the compromise approved by narrowest margins five states to four. Several delegates went home early in protest believing convention overstepped authority. Madison remained dissatisfied particularly over equal representation in Senate and failure to grant Congress veto power over state legislation. Final draft approved overwhelmingly on September 17 with eleven states in favor.
The Founding Fathers represented upper echelon of political leadership during latter half of eighteenth century. Nearly all were native born and of British heritage including Scots, Irish, and Welsh. Two-thirds or thirty-six out of fifty-five were natives of American Colonies while nineteen born elsewhere in British Empire. Average age of founders was forty-three years old. Benjamin Franklin born in 1706 was oldest while few born after 1750 were in their twenties. About half founders were lawyers while remainder primarily businessmen and planter-farmers. Ten founders were physicians including Josiah Bartlett, Lyman Hall, Samuel Holten, James McClurg, James McHenry, Benjamin Rush, Nathaniel Scudder, Matthew Thornton, Joseph Warren, and Hugh Williamson. John Witherspoon was only minister though Lyman Hall had been preacher prior becoming physician. More than third attended or graduated from colleges in American colonies while others home schooled or self-educated. Twenty-eight delegates to Constitutional Convention were Anglicans while twenty-one other Protestants and three Catholics. Daniel Carroll and Fitzsimons were Catholic but Charles Carroll not Constitution signatory. Eight non-Anglican Protestant delegates were Presbyterians, seven Congregationalists, two Lutherans, two Dutch Reformed, and two Methodists.
The U.S. Constitution faced hurdle requiring approval by legislatures in at least nine of thirteen states. Delaware became first state ratifying on December 7 with thirty-zero margin before Pennsylvania split vote forty-six to twenty-three. New Hampshire became ninth state ratifying the 21st of June 1788 making Constitution law land. Virginia followed four days later then New York late July. Rhode Island approved the 29th of May 1790 by begrudging thirty-four to thirty-two vote after facing trade sanctions. Anti-Federalists contended document failed safeguard individual liberties from federal government. Leading opponents included Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee both from Virginia plus Samuel Adams of Massachusetts. George Mason and Edmund Randolph refused signing final document sharing Anti-Federalist views. Madison principal author Bill Rights originally opposed amendments influenced by 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights written by Mason. Alexander Hamilton opposed Bill Rights believing amendments unnecessary yet dangerous. Final draft referred states the 25th of September 1789 not ratified Virginia Senate until the 15th of December 1791. Ten amendments known collectively as United States Bill of Rights ratified the 15th of December 1791.
Four U.S. founders minted American currency: Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Washington and Jefferson appear three different denominations while reverse Jefferson two-dollar bill features John Trumbull's 1818 depiction signing Declaration Independence. Modern politics sees everyone cite Founders regardless political spectrum. Constitutional originalists consult papers decide original meaning while living Constitution proponents turn them font ideas grown over time. Conservatives view Founders architects free enterprise system built American greatness. Liberal-leaning claim Founders egalitarians suspicious concentrations wealth. Across spectrum Americans ground views supposed set ideas emerged eighteenth century though reality one most partisan periods history. Independence Day celebrated yearly July 4 commemorating signing Declaration Independence founding nation. Washington's Birthday observed national federal holiday April 13 Jefferson's Birthday honors US founder president. Tony Award winning 1969 musical 1776 depicted debates eventual adoption Declaration Independence adapted into 1972 film same name. 1989 film A More Perfect Union filmed location Independence Hall depicts events Constitutional Convention. Writing passing founding documents depicted 1997 documentary miniseries Liberty! passage Declaration.
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Common questions
Who introduced the phrase Founding Fathers to Americans in 1916?
U.S. senator Warren G. Harding introduced the phrase Founding Fathers during his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention on the 4th of March 1921.
Which seven figures did historian Richard B. Morris identify as key founders based on triple tests?
Historian Richard B. Morris identified John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington as key founders.
When did the Constitutional Convention meet and what compromise resolved representation debates?
The Constitutional Convention met from May 14 through the 17th of September 1787 and adopted the Connecticut Compromise on July 16 which established proportional House seats and equal Senate seats per state.
What were the religious affiliations of delegates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787?
Twenty-eight delegates to the Constitutional Convention were Anglicans while twenty-one other Protestants included Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Lutherans, Dutch Reformed, Methodists, and three Catholics.
On what date was the United States Bill of Rights ratified by ten states?
Ten amendments known collectively as the United States Bill of Rights were ratified on the 15th of December 1791 after being referred to states on the 25th of September 1789.