• At the time of the convention, 13 men were merchants: Blount, Broom, Clymer, Dayton, Fitzsimons, Shields, Gilman, Gorham, Langdon, Robert Morris, Pierce, Sherman, and Wilson.
• Six were major land speculators: Blount, Dayton, Fitzsimons, Gorham, Robert Morris, and Wilson.
• Eleven speculated in securities on a large scale: Bedford, Blair, Clymer, Dayton, Fitzsimons, Franklin, King, Langdon, Robert Morris, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Sherman.
• Twelve owned or managed slave-operated plantations or large farms: Bassett, Blair, Blount, Butler, Carroll, Jenifer, Jefferson, Mason, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Rutledge, Spaight, and Washington.^ Most of the Southerners owned large plantations.
  • LDS.org - Ensign Article - Wise Men Raised Up 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.lds.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ But tensions are growing between rich planters who own large plantations in the east and small farmers who must go west into the wooded frontier to find land for themselves.
  • Founding Fathers « Chester The Crab's Blog 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.chestercomix.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ Other men who had much to do with writing the Constitution included John Dickinson, Gouverneur Morris, Edmund Randolph, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, and George Wythe.
  • The Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.policyalmanac.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  .Madison also owned slaves, as did Franklin, who later freed his slaves and was a key founder of the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society.^ Later, Madison explained how he did it.
  • American History: The Founding Fathers Meet in Philadelphia to Write a Constitution (VOA Special English 2008-01-23) 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.manythings.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ [N]ever in my life did I own a slave."
  • Founding Fathers and Slavery - Were all of America's Founding Fathers racists, pro-slavery, and hypocrites? - ChristianAnswers.Net 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.christiananswers.net [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ Of the five famous founders, only Franklin, who died in 1790, did not go on to hold high federal office, whereas Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison were respectively the first, second, third and fourth presidents of the United States, and Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury.
  • FOUNDING FATHERS AND FICKLE FAME (Speechwriter's Slant) 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC blog.ragan.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  .Alexander Hamilton was opposed to slavery and, with John Jay and other anti-slavery advocates, helped to found the first African free school in New York City.^ Alexander Hamilton and John Jay helped found a manumission society in New York to get rid of slavery in New York state, because it wasn't just a Southern thing.
  • Online NewsHour: Historians Reflect on Founding Fathers and America Today -- July 5, 2004 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.pbs.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ He died in 1809 in New York City.
  • The Founding Fathers of our Nation 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.usa-people-search.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
  
  ^ The brilliant Alexander Hamilton represented New York.
  • The Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.policyalmanac.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  Jay helped to found the New York Manumission Society and, when he was governor of New York in 1798, signed into law the state statute ending slavery as of 1821.
• Broom and Few were small farmers.
• Eight of the men received a substantial part of their income from public office: Baldwin, Blair, Brearly, Gilman, Livingston, Madison, and Rutledge.
• Three had retired from active economic endeavors: Franklin, McHenry, and Mifflin.
• Franklin and Williamson were scientists, in addition to their other activities.
• McClurg, McHenry, and Williamson were physicians, and Johnson was a college president.

Family and finances

Demographics

• Most of the 1787 delegates were natives of the Thirteen Colonies.^ William Richardson Davie One of the eight delegates born outside of the thirteen colonies, Davie was born in Egremont, Cumberlandshire, England, on June 20, 1756.
  • Founding Fathers of North Carolina 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC thomaslegion.net [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ In 1787, Johnson played a major role as one of the Philadelphia Convention's most important and respected delegates.
  • Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ As a member of the congress, he, along with most of his fellow delegates, concentrated on turning the colony into an independent state.
  • Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  .Only 9 were born elsewhere: four (Butler, Fitzsimons, McHenry, and Paterson) in Ireland, two (Davie and Robert Morris) in England, two (Wilson and Witherspoon) in Scotland, and one (Hamilton) in the West Indies.
• Many of them had moved from one state to another.^ Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the West Indies, and moved to the colonies at the age of 17 .
  • Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC dhillman.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ Butler was born in County Carlow, Ireland .
  • Pierce Butler (Founding Father) - encyclopedia article - Citizendium 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC en.citizendium.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]
  
  ^ Morris was born to Robert Morris, Sr.
  • Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  Seventeen individuals had already lived or worked in more than one state or colony: Baldwin, Bassett, Bedford, Dickinson, Few, Franklin, Ingersoll, Hamilton, Livingston, Alexander Martieno, Luther Martin, Mercer, Gouverneur Morris, Robert Morris, Read, Sherman, and Williamson.
• Several others had studied or traveled abroad.

.The Founding Fathers had strong educational backgrounds.^ The Founding Fathers were well educated.

• LDS.org - Ensign Article - Wise Men Raised Up 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.lds.org [Source type: Original source]

^ The Founding Fathers had strong educational backgrounds with some, like Franklin, were largely self-taught or learned through apprenticeship while others had obtained instruction from private tutors or at academies.

• Our Founding Fathers - Revolutionaries and Signers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence | 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.thelangreport.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ During the next hundred years humanism grew bolder in its attack against the founding fathers ideas of education and more and more schools omitted the Bible.

• Constitution of the United States of America, U.S.A., Declaration of Independence, History, Founding Fathers, Wisdom 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.christianparents.com [Source type: Original source]

^[11] .Some, like Franklin, were largely self-taught or learned through apprenticeship.^ He received some formal education but was principally self-taught.

• U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC infousa.state.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ Like so many other singers, she came up in the church and through gospel music, although she also taught herself how to play harmonica and drums.

• WNEW | Where Rock Lives: Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.wnew.com [Source type: General]

^ The automatic deference to landed gentry, the learned, priests, and the like slowly eroded as people began to trust their own instincts and emphasize their self-interests.

• Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 (Oxford History of the United States) - gigapedia.com 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC gigapedia.com [Source type: Original source]

.Others had obtained instruction from private tutors or at academies.^ The Founding Fathers had strong educational backgrounds with some, like Franklin, were largely self-taught or learned through apprenticeship while others had obtained instruction from private tutors or at academies.

• Our Founding Fathers - Revolutionaries and Signers of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence | 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.thelangreport.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.About half of the men had attended or graduated from college in the colonies or Britain.^ He attended King's College (later Columbia College and University) in New York City, graduating in 1768 at the age of 16.

• U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC infousa.state.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ He attended the College of William andMary and graduated in 1762.

• FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: Founding Fathers: Virginia 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC supreme.lp.findlaw.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Davie attended Queen's Museum College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton) in 1776.

• Founding Fathers of North Carolina 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC thomaslegion.net [Source type: Original source]

Some men held medical degrees or advanced training in theology. .For the most part, the delegates were a well-educated group.^ This is the most essential part of education.

• Reclaiming Oklahoma For Christ - The Faith of our Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.reclaimoklahoma.org [Source type: Original source]
• Other Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.whateveristrue.com [Source type: Original source]

^ The Founders were, for the most part, profoundly influenced by the Age of Enlightenment; they were well-read and profoundly inspired by the philosophy of their time.

• Were the Founding Fathers Christian? 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.yosemitedems.net [Source type: Original source]

^ They were for the most part young, middle class men, many of them still in their 20s, educated at Midwestern or Eastern colleges.

• Founding Fathers, AAPG EXPL Century 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.aapg.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

.A few lawyers had been trained at the Inns of Court in London, but most had apprenticed to an American lawyer.^ To celebrate the release they also gave out a survey about Presidential facts, most Americans knew very few of the answers regarding our Presidents.

• Advice from the Founding Fathers - Part 3 - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.associatedcontent.com [Source type: General]

^ Four of the delegates had studied law at the prestigious Inns of Court in London.

• LDS.org - Ensign Article - Wise Men Raised Up 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.lds.org [Source type: Original source]

Family origins

Longevity and family life

Death age of the Founding Fathers.

.For their era, the 1787 delegates (like the 1776 signers) were average in terms of life spans.^ Between 1776 and 1788, he served various terms in the Virginia House of Delegates, the Council of State, and the Continental Congress.

• FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: Founding Fathers: Virginia 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC supreme.lp.findlaw.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Livingston was a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and one of the signers of the Constitution.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^ He was a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787, as well as a signer of the Constitution.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^[9] Their average age at death was about 67. The first to die was Houston in 1788; the last was Madison in 1836.

.The one who reached the oldest age was Johnson, who died at 92. John Adams lived to the age of 90. A few—Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Williamson, and Wythe—lived into their eighties.^ And John Waller, who died last year, was then in his eighties.

• How Israel and the United States Helped to Bolster Hamas 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.democracynow.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1819 .

• The Founding Fathers’ Original Intent | The Founders Report 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.foundersreport.com [Source type: Original source]

^ He died at the age of 90, in Quincy.

• Founding Fathers | Americans For The Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.americansfortheconstitution.com [Source type: Original source]

.Either 15 or 16 (depending on Fitzsimons's exact age) died in their seventies, 20 or 21 in their sixties, eight in their fifties, and five only in their forties.^ Only 2 years later, on December 10, 1789, Pierce died in Savannah at age 49 leaving tremendous debts.

• NARA | The Constitution of the United States: America\'s Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.archives.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ Madison died at the age of eighty-five in 1836, survived by his wife and stepson.

• FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: Founding Fathers: Virginia 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC supreme.lp.findlaw.com [Source type: Original source]

.Three (Alexander Hamilton, Richard Dobbs Spaight and Button Gwinnett) were killed in duels.^ On 24 March 1788, Spaight married Mary Leach; their son Richard Dobbs Spaight, Jr., later became Governor of North Carolina in 1835.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Hamilton was shot and killed by Aaron Burr in a duel on July 12, 1804.

• James Watkins: Were the Founding Fathers of the United States Christians? 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.jameswatkins.com [Source type: Original source]

^ They quickly appointed three men: George Wythe of Virginia, Alexander Hamilton of New York, and Charles Pinckney of South Carolina.

• American History Series: The Founding Fathers Meet in Philadelphia to Write a Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.voanews.com [Source type: Original source]

.Most of the delegates married and raised children.^ In 1773 he married Rachel Pierce, and together they raised eight children.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

.Sherman fathered the largest family: 15 children by two wives.^ He abandoned her after fathering two children.

• AmericanHeritage.com / Happy Birthday, Whenever, Alexander Hamilton 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.americanheritage.com [Source type: News]

^ Baldwin was born at Guilford, Conn., in 1754, the second son of a blacksmith who fathered 12 children by 2 wives.

• NARA | The Constitution of the United States: America\'s Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.archives.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ The Justices attack the rights and obligations of children and parents inherent in the family unit which is implied in the 5th Commandment, Honour thy father and mother.

• The Legal Principles of the Founding Fathers and the Supreme Court 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.catholiceducation.org [Source type: Original source]

.At least nine (Bassett, Brearly, Johnson, Mason, Paterson, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Sherman, Wilson, and Wythe) married more than once.^ Suddenly, the idea seemed more plausible than ever -- not least because it had been put into words by one of the great victors of World War II. .

• Founding Fathers: Europeans Behind the Union | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 23.03.2007 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.dw-world.de [Source type: News]

^ (The actual number of ancestors in that generation is smaller, because of some being ancestors more than once.

• USA Founding Fathers' DNA 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.roperld.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Deprogramming the masses and awakening once again a pride in one’s state house is more cultural than legal, more art than science but it must be done.

• The Federal Government is NOT the United States | Tenth Amendment Center Blog 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com [Source type: Original source]

Four (Baldwin, Gilman, Jenifer, and Alexander Martin) were lifelong bachelors.

Religion

.Lambert (2003) has examined the religious affiliations and beliefs of the Founders.^ FACT: It does not matter what personal religious beliefs the founders held.

• Misquoting Our Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.freerepublic.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ The religious belifs of the founders or the People did not make the Constitution more or less valid, nor did the personal beliefs of the People of the U.S. make the constiturion 'christian."

• Founding Fathers Religious Comments 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC greenspun.com [Source type: Original source]

Some of the 1787 delegates had no affiliation. .The others were Protestants except for three Roman Catholics: C. Carroll, D. Carroll, and Fitzsimons.^ Puritanism was a Protestant movement in England to "purify" Anglicanism from elements of the Roman Catholic religion, which they considered superstitious.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^ "CIA WORLD FACTBOOK section on USA: Religions: Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.

• The Political Depravity of the Founding Fathers - Salem-News.Com 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC salem-news.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Twenty-eight were Episcopalians, eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutheran, two were Dutch Reformed, two were Methodist, two were Roman Catholic, one is unknown, and only three were deists .

• FoundingFathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.inplainsite.org [Source type: Original source]

.Among the Protestant delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 28 were Church of England (Episcopalian, after the Revolutionary War was won), eight were Presbyterians, seven were Congregationalists, two were Lutherans, two were Dutch Reformed, and two were Methodists, the total number being 49. Some of the more prominent Founding Fathers were anti-clerical or vocal about their opposition to organized religion, such as Thomas Jefferson^[12][13] (who created the "Jefferson Bible"), and Benjamin Franklin^[14].^ That was well after the Revolutionary War was won.

• Illuminati News: The Masonic Founding of The United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.illuminati-news.com [Source type: Original source]

^ I was talking about the founding fathers.

• The United States has a real opportunity with Barack Obama | RickLatona.com 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.ricklatona.com [Source type: General]

^ Following are some of the words of the Founding Fathers.

• HEDONIA 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.hedonia.net [Source type: Original source]

.However, other notable founders, such as Patrick Henry, were strong proponents of traditional religion.^ It is idle to say, as some do, that no such being exists.” On the other hand, John Adams believed morality could not exist without religion.

• Beliefs of the Founding Fathers: Religion, Morality, and the U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC americanhistory.suite101.com [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ Madison devoted himself to ratification of the new Constitution, defending it against opponents such as Patrick Henry , George Mason , and Richard Henry Lee .

• James Madison | Fourth President of the United States 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www2.lucidcafe.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Patrick: When Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty or give me death," did he mean that it is our responsibility to send citizens to other countries to fight for freedom?

• USA WEEKEND Magazine 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.usaweekend.com [Source type: Original source]

.Several of the Founding Fathers considered themselves to be deists or held beliefs very similar to that of deists.^ Founding Fathers' religious beliefs .

• Religious beliefs of the Founding Fathers 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC skeptically.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Most of the Founding Fathers were deists, not Christians.

• Stillwater Gazette > Opinion > Letters > Your Voices: Letter draws 'amusing' incorrect voicemail 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC stillwatergazette.com [Source type: Original source]

^ The Founding Fathers were a very diverse group.

• America's Founding Fathers Speak to Kosovo (July 4, 2003) 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC serbian.pristina.usembassy.gov [Source type: Original source]

^[15]

Post-convention careers

.The 1787 delegates' subsequent careers reflected their abilities as well as the vagaries of fate.^ He was a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787, as well as a signer of the Constitution.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^[16] .Most were successful, although seven (Fitzsimons, Gorham, Luther Martin, Mifflin, Robert Morris, Pierce, and Wilson) suffered serious financial reverses that left them in or near bankruptcy.^ Although wealthy most of his life, Mifflin was a lavish spender.

• U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC infousa.state.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ His financial affairs, like those somewhat earlier of his associate and fellow-signer Robert Morris, took a disastrous turn in 1805.

• U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC infousa.state.gov [Source type: Original source]

^ During 1781 Congress appointed Wilson as one of the directors of the Bank of North America, newly founded by his close associate and legal client Robert Morris.

• U.S. GOVERNMENT > Introduction to the U.S. System > Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC infousa.state.gov [Source type: Original source]

Two, Blount and Dayton, were involved in possibly treasonous activities. .Yet, as they had done before the convention, most of the group continued to render public service, particularly to the new government they had helped to create.^ In 1942 New Zealand began to create its first diplomatic service.

• Sir Geoffrey Cox: War reporter, diplomat and soldier who became a founding father of television journalism - Obituaries, News - The Independent 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.independent.co.uk [Source type: News]

^ The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished; as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations.

• Federalist No. 10 - Founding Fathers' View of the Maximum Size of a Democracy 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.cusdi.org [Source type: Original source]

^ THE BACKGROUND OF THE CONSTITUTION. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention relied greatly on past experience as they worked to create a new government.

• The Constitution of the United States of America 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.policyalmanac.org [Source type: Original source]

Legacy

.According to Joseph J. Ellis, the concept of the Founding Fathers of the U.S. emerged in the 1820s as the last survivors died out.^ He was an enemy to the natural law concepts of the Founding Fathers.

• The Legal Principles of the Founding Fathers and the Supreme Court 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.catholiceducation.org [Source type: Original source]

^ According to St Paul, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities"; but according to the founding fathers, the people have the right to abolish these authorities.

• "The United States is a Christian Nation" - SkepticWiki 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.skepticwiki.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Joseph Ellis wrote in his book Founding Brothers : .

• The Founding Fathers Grapple With Slavery | Everyday Citizen 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.everydaycitizen.com [Source type: General]

.Ellis says the "the founders," or "the fathers," comprised an aggregate of semi-sacred figures whose particular accomplishments and singular achievements were decidedly less important than their sheer presence as a powerful but faceless symbol of past greatness.^ What would the Founding Fathers say to learn that their most important documents and correspondence were only available to a select group of academic historians?

• Testimony of Rebecca W. Rimel to the Senate Judiciary Committee on The Founding Fathers Project - The Pew Charitable Trusts 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.pewtrusts.org [Source type: FILTERED WITH BAYES]

^ In decoding the symbolic meaning of the Great Seal's reverse, we discover the unique opportunities our current era presents for achieving our Founding Fathers' spiritual vision.

• Founding Fathers, Secret Societies by Dr. Robert R. Hieronimus 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC secretdestiny.org [Source type: Original source]

^ That beginning, when you read Las Casas -- even if his figures are exaggerations (were there 3 million Indians to begin with, as he says, or less than a million, as some some historians have calculated, or 8 million as others now believe?

• A People's History of the United States 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.ditext.com [Source type: Original source]

.For the generation of national leaders coming of age in the 1820s and 1830s — men like Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun — "the founders" represented a heroic but anonymous abstraction whose long shadow fell across all followers and whose legendary accomplishments defied comparison.^ He may also be key figure from the nation's history whose perceived heroism and moral authority make him a source of patriotic inspiration and worthy of respect or veneration.

• Father of the Nation at AllExperts 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC en.allexperts.com [Source type: Academic]

^ The men who wrote the Declaration of Independence declared within it their undying faith towards God for all generations to see and follow.

• Founding Fathers Wisdom 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.christianparents.com [Source type: Original source]

^ It would be difficult to name a single Founding Father who did not believe in a God who judges men and nations in this life or in the life to come.

• Were the Founding Fathers "Deists" and "Infidels?" 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC vftonline.org [Source type: Original source]

."We can win no laurels in a war for independence," Webster acknowledged in 1825. "Earlier and worthier hands have gathered them all.^ The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights all acknowledge the prior genius of Christian Science; it was Christian Science, which is as ageless as God, that made possible these documents.

• Chapter IV - America: Cradle for the Second Coming of the Christ 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.mbeinstitute.org [Source type: Original source]

^ Believing the establishment of schools "is, on all hands, justly acknowledged to be an object of first importance;" he worked for the improvement of education in Wilmington.

• Founding Fathers - U.S. Constitution 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.constitutionday.com [Source type: Original source]

^ Thomas Paine was a pamphleteer whose manifestoes encouraged the faltering spirits of the country and aided materially in winning the War of Independence.

• Notes on the Founding Fathers and the Separation of Church and State 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.theology.edu [Source type: Original source]
• Quartz Hill School of Theology 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.theology.edu [Source type: Original source]

.Nor are there places for us ...^ This clause guaranteeing the obligation of Contracts was not put there for us, it was placed there for the bankers.

• The Constitution of the United States: A man inspireddocument! 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.iahushua.com [Source type: Original source]

[as] the founders of states. Our fathers have filled them. .But there remains to us a great duty of defence and preservation."^ Citizens of this great United States, I will leave you with the wise words of our Founding Fathers reminding us of our duties: .

• We The People « Common Sense from a Common Man 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC blog.flecksoflife.com [Source type: Original source]

^ I believe these great men continue to speak to us today and there are three important lessons they have to teach us.

• America's Founding Fathers Speak to Kosovo (July 4, 2003) 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC serbian.pristina.usembassy.gov [Source type: Original source]

^[17]

List of the Founding Fathers

Signers of the Declaration of Independence John Adams Samuel Adams Josiah Bartlett Carter Braxton Charles Carroll Samuel Chase Abraham Clark George Clymer William Ellery William Floyd Benjamin Franklin Elbridge Gerry Button Gwinnett John Hancock Lyman Hall Benjamin Harrison John Hart Joseph Hewes Thomas Heyward, Jr. William Hooper Stephen Hopkins Francis Hopkinson Samuel Huntington Thomas Jefferson Francis Lightfoot Lee Richard Henry Lee Francis Lewis Philip Livingston Thomas Lynch, Jr. Thomas McKean Arthur Middleton Lewis Morris Robert Morris John Morton Thomas Nelson, Jr. William Paca John Penn Robert Treat Paine George Read Caesar Rodney George Ross Benjamin Rush Edward Rutledge Roger Sherman James Smith Richard Stockton Thomas Stone George Taylor Charles Thomson (Secretary, attested to Hancock's signature) Matthew Thornton George Walton William Whipple William Williams James Wilson John Witherspoon Oliver Wolcott George Wythe

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention Delegates who signed Abraham Baldwin Richard Bassett Gunning Bedford, Jr. John Blair William Blount David Brearly Jacob Broom Pierce Butler Daniel Carroll George Clymer William Cotter Jonathan Dayton John Dickinson William Few Thomas Fitzsimons Benjamin Franklin Nicholas Gilman Nathaniel Gorham Alexander Hamilton Jared Ingersoll William Jackson (Secretary) Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer William Samuel Johnson Rufus King John Langdon William Livingston James Madison James McHenry Thomas Mifflin Gouverneur Morris Robert Morris William Paterson Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Charles Pinckney George Read John Rutledge Roger Sherman Richard Dobbs Spaight George Washington (president of the Convention) Hugh Williamson James Wilson Delegates who left the Convention without signing William Richardson Davie Oliver Ellsworth William Houston William Houstoun John Lansing, Jr. Alexander Martin Luther Martin James McClurg John Francis Mercer William Pierce Caleb Strong George Wythe Robert Yates Delegates who refused to sign Elbridge Gerry George Mason Edmund Randolph

Other Founders

• Ethan Allen
• Egbert Benson
• Richard Bland
• George Clinton
• Patrick Henry
• Michael Hillegas, the first Treasurer of the United States.
• John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States.
• Henry Knox
• Henry Lee III
• Thomas Sim Lee
• Robert R. Livingston
• John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
• Philip Mazzei
• James Monroe, Continental Congressman and fifth President of the United States, the last of the "Republican Generation."
• Gilbert du Motier, marquis de La Fayette, volunteer commonly considered to be the symbol of the alliance with France.
• James Otis, Jr.
• Thomas Paine, author of the influential pamphlet Common Sense.
• Peyton Randolph, President of the First Continental Congress
• Dr. William Rickman, first Director of Hospitals of the Continental Army.
• Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Prussian officer who reorganized the Continental Army and guided it to victory.

See also

• List of national founders (worldwide)
• List of delegates to the Continental Congress
• History of the United States Constitution
• Rights of Englishmen

Notes

1. ^ americanrevolution.org Key to Trumbull's picture
2. ^ R. B. Bernstein, The Founding Fathers Reconsidered (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009).
3. ^ Richard B. Morris, Seven Who Shaped Our Destiny: The Founding Fathers as Revolutionaries (New York: Harper & Row, 1973).
4. ^ Bernstein, Founding Fathers Reconsidered, prologue (which collects all citations for Harding's uses of the phrase or variants thereof between 1912 and 1921).
5. ^ See the discussion of the Convention in Clinton L. Rossiter, 1787: The Grand Convention (New York: Macmillan, 1966; reprint ed., with new foreword by Richard B. Morris, New York: W. W. Norton, 1987).
6. ^ See Brown (19764); Martin (19739); "Data on the Framers of the Constitution," at [1]
7. ^ Martin (1973); Greene (1973)
8. ^ Greene (1973)
9. ^ ^{a b} Brown (1976)
10. ^ Greene (1973).
11. ^ Brown (1976); Harris (1969)
12. ^ Letter to Alexander von Humboldt, December 6, 1813 "History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government,"
13. ^ Letter to Horatio G. Spafford, March 17, 1814 "In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own."
14. ^ Quoted in The New England Currant (July 23, 1722), "Silence Dogood, No. 9; Corruptio optimi est pessima." "And it is a sad Observation, that when the People too late see their Error, yet the Clergy still persist in their Encomiums on the Hypocrite; and when he happens to die for the Good of his Country, without leaving behind him the Memory of one good Action, he shall be sure to have his Funeral Sermon stuff'd with Pious Expressions which he dropt at such a Time, and at such a Place, and on such an Occasion; than which nothing can be more prejudicial to the Interest of Religion, nor indeed to the Memory of the Person deceas'd. The Reason of this Blindness in the Clergy is, because they are honourably supported (as they ought to be) by their People, and see nor feel nothing of the Oppression which is obvious and burdensome to every one else."
15. ^ See, e.g., Religioustolerance.org/Deism, [ http://earlyamericanhistory.net/founding_fathers.htm Jim Peterson (2007) "The Revolution of Belief: Founding Fathers, Deists, Orthodox Christians, and the Spiritual Context of 18th Century America] Robert L. Johnson, "The Deist Roots of the United States of America"
16. ^ Martin (1973)
17. ^ Joseph J. Ellis; Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams. (2001) p. 214.

References

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  ^ Corsi earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University, and co-authored the New York Times best-selling book, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry : .
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  ^ Most of the founding fathers were pluralistic and democratic in their views on religion.
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  ^ Joseph Bressani , Jesuit , tortured by Mohawks, but rescued, New York.
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  ^ Figure 38 , from Exemplar of Liberty, Native America and the Evolution of Democracy , Chp.11, " The Persistence of an Idea, Impressions of Iroquois liberty after the eighteenth century " .
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• Joanne B. Freeman, Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001).
• Jack P. Greene.^ Perkins himself nearly missed that accomplishment -- on the way from Norfolk, Virginia, to New York to perform the show on national TV again, Perkins and his band were in a car crash.
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  ^ It has been described as "The Age of Passion" for one simple reason; political dialogue within the highest echelons of the revolutionary generation was a decade-long shouting match.
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  ^ His founding U.S. History work has appeared in hundreds of print and digital publications including U.S. News & World Report 2006 cover story, Washington?
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  ."The Social Origins of the American Revolution: An Evaluation and an Interpretation," Political Science Quarterly, Vol.^ At the same time, she demonstrates that an examination of the American reception of Paradise Lost contributes to an understanding of the ideological origins of the American Revolution."
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  ^ But all else is political and social trash, part of that human side of the Churchs Tradition which can easily be shed when reason and science and the inspired eighteenth century American aristocracy has spoken.
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  ^ In the telling, this story also seeks to demolish what remains of stereotypical assumptions that American Indians were somehow too simpleminded to engage in effective social and political organization.
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  88, No. 1 (Mar., 1973), pp. .1-22 online in JSTOR.
• P.M.G. Harris, "The Social Origins of American Leaders: The Demographic Foundations, " Perspectives in American History 3 (1969): 159-364.
• Mark E. Kann; The Gendering of American Politics: Founding Mothers, Founding Fathers, and Political Patriarchy (New York: Frederick Praeger, 1999).
• Adrienne Koch; Power, Morals, and the Founding Fathers: Essays in the Interpretation of the American Enlightenment (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1961).
• Frank Lambert.^ Once called “the first American university” by educational historian Frederick Rudolph, Cornell University represents a distinctive mix of eminent scholarship and democratic ideals.
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  ^ Political Cortex: Separation of Church and States: Republicans vs. Founding Fathers Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic .
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  ^ "The New Testament, they tell us, is founded upon the prophecies of the Old; if so, it must follow the fate of its foundation.''
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• Martin, James Kirby.^ The U.S. Constitution The United States Constitution serves as the law of the land for America and indicates the intent of our Founding Fathers.
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  ^ The founding fathers opposed both government suppression and government establishment of religion.
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  ^ Partisans of various stripes have long invoked quotations from the founding fathers to lend credence to their own views on religion and politics.
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  .Men in Rebellion: Higher Governmental Leaders and the coming of the American Revolution, (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1973; reprint, New York: Free Press, 1976).
• Morris, Richard B. Seven Who Shaped Our Destiny: The Founding Fathers as Revolutionaries (New York: Harper & Row, 1973).
• Robert Previdi; "Vindicating the Founders: Race, Sex, Class, and Justice in the Origins of America," Presidential Studies Quarterly, Vol.^ And must not the developed countries, for their part, come to renounce strictly utilitarian approaches and develop new approaches inspired by greater justice and solidarity?
  • To the United Nations, Address of John Paul II 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.vatican.va [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ To be COMPLETELY factually correct…these men could ALL be termed the “ founding fathers .” But let’s face it, there are a handful of figures ( generally seven of them ) that are universally considered the true “ framers “… and I will focus my attention on them.
  • The Founding Fathers: An Examination of Beliefs and Intentions | Reality Liberation Front 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC realityliberationfront.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ "How can we take it to the streets and educate the past couple of generations who never really got a chance to learn the truth about the founding of our Country?"
  • Founding Fathers Were Not Men Of Faith? | The Hive 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC thehive.modbee.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  29, 1999
• Cokie Roberts. .Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation (New York: William Morrow, 2005)
• Gordon S. Wood.^ "How can we take it to the streets and educate the past couple of generations who never really got a chance to learn the truth about the founding of our Country?"
  • Founding Fathers Were Not Men Of Faith? | The Hive 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC thehive.modbee.com [Source type: Original source]
  
  ^ After the war he established himself as a successful lawyer in New York, founded the Bank of New York and the New York Post , and wrote widely on the problems confronting the new nation.
  • AmericanHeritage.com / Happy Birthday, Whenever, Alexander Hamilton 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC www.americanheritage.com [Source type: News]
  
  ^ It would be difficult to name a single Founding Father who did not believe in a God who judges men and nations in this life or in the life to come.
  • Were the Founding Fathers "Deists" and "Infidels?" 25 January 2010 17:39 UTC vftonline.org [Source type: Original source]
  
  Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different (New York: Penguin Press, 2006)

External links

• NARA - America's founding fathers
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, The Founding Fathers and Slavery
• What Happened to the Signers of the Declaration of Independence?
• Britannica blog - a scholar blog forum on Founding Fathers and their Faith

Categories: American Revolution | Patriots in the American Revolution | Political leaders of the American Revolution | The Enlightenment

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