[[File:Gilbert Stuart Portrait of George Washington.jpg|thumb|Portrait of George Washington by [[Gilbert Stuart]].]]
'''The Founding Fathers''' are the leaders who founded the [[United States]], especially the 40 dignitaries who signed the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the 56 57 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Historians consider the most important founders to include [[John Adams]], [[Samuel Adams]], [[Benjamin Franklin]], [[Alexander Hamilton]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[James Madison]], and [[George Washington]]. Washington is known for his leadership and honesty; Hamilton for his brilliance; John Adams for his morality; Franklin for his inventiveness; Madison for his scholarship; and Jefferson for his egalitarianism.
The 55 initial participants—all of whom would be considered "Founders" in the broad sense of the term—wrote 15,000 articles, books and other materials. A study found that the [[Bible]] comprised 34% of their direct quotations. They particularly liked quoting the [[Book of Deuteronomy]].<ref>https://juicyecumenism.com/2017/05/26/bibles-significance-american-founders/</ref>
The last surviving member of the signers of the Declaration was [[Charles Carroll of Carrollton]], and the last surviving Founding Father was [[James Madison]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HGkXMM-CXxMC&pg=PA87 Virginia's Historic Homes and Gardens]</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MlNWU1e9ppUC&pg=PA181 The American Presidents, Washington to Tyler]</ref>
==Views==
[[Image:Writing the Declaration.jpg|right|thumb|230px|[[Benjamin Franklin]], [[John Adams]], and [[Thomas Jefferson]] drafting the [[Declaration of Independence]]. ]]
The overall philosophy of the founding fathers can be summarized as "[[Americanism]]."
===Republicanism===
[[File:Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States.jpg|thumb|300px|Signing of the United States Constitution, by Howard Chandler Christy in 1940]]
The Founding Fathers sought "Honor"—freedom from corruption, and a positive devotion to civic virtue. These were key elements of [[Republicanism]], and the Founding Fathers made republicanism the core values of the American system of government.
The founding fathers considered to be "theistic rationalists" did believe God was active in earthly affairs and that religion was essentially important to society because it brought [[morality]].<ref name="Frazer"/> However, they believed this to be true for all religions, rather than just Christianity.<ref name="Frazer"/> They opposed the establishment of an official religion but supported religion in public life.<ref name="Frazer"/>
In a Judiciary Committee report published by the House of Representatives in 1854 titled "''Chaplains in Congress and in the Army and Navy''" it was noted that:
:In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity; that, in its general principles, is the great conservative element on which we must rely for the purity and permanence of free institutions. That was the religion of the founders of the republic, and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.<ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Reports_of_Committees/zaoFAAAAQAAJ Reports of Committees - 16th Congress, 1st Session - 49th Congress, 1st Session], 1854, H. Rep. 124, 33rd Congress, 1st Session</ref>
==== A Table of the Religious Affiliations of American Founders ====
*[https://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/qtable.htm A Table of the Religious Affiliations of American Founders]
== Signatories of the [[Declaration of Independence]] ==
{|
| valign="top" |
*1.[[John Adams]] Unitarian 2.*[[Samuel Adams]] * Christian- Congregationalist 3.[[Josiah Bartlett]]*Christian- Congregationalist 4.[[Carter Braxton]]* Christian- Episcopalian 5.[[Charles Carroll of Carrollton|Charles Carroll]] * roman catholic 6.[[Samuel Chase]]*episcopalian 7.[[Abraham Clark]]*presbytarian 8.[[George Clymer]]* Christian-Episcopalian 9.[[William Ellery]] * Christian- Congregationalist 10.[[William Floyd]]* Christian- Congregationalist 11.[[Benjamin Franklin]]* Christian- Episcopalian 12.[[Elbridge Gerry]]* Christian-Episcopalian 13.[[Button Gwinnett]]* Christian- Episcopalian; Congregationalist 14.[[Lyman Hall]]* Christian- Congregationalist 15.[[John Hancock]]* Christian- Congregationalist 16.[[Benjamin Harrison V|Benjamin Harrison]]* Christian- Episcopalian [ 17.[[John Hart]]* Christian- Presbyterian 18.[[Joseph Hewes]]* Christian- Quaker, Episcopalian 19.[[Thomas Heyward]]* Episcopalian| valign="top" | 20.*[[William Hooper]]* Christian- Episcopalian 21.[[Stephen Hopkins]]* Christian- Episcopalian 22.[[Francis Hopkinson]]* Christian- Episcopalian 23.[[Samuel Huntington (signer)|Samuel Huntington]]* Christian- Congregationalist 24.[[Thomas Jefferson]]* Christian 25.[[Francis Lightfoot Lee]]* Christian- Episcopalian 26.[[Richard Henry Lee]]* Christian- Episcopalian 27.[[Francis Lewis]] * Christian- Episcopalian 28.[[Philip Livingston]] * Christian- Presbyterian 29.[[Thomas Lynch, Jr.]]* Christian- Episcopalian 30.[[Thomas McKean]] * Christian- Presbyterian 31.[[Arthur Middleton]] * Christian- Episcopalian 32.[[Lewis Morris]] * Christian- Episcopalian 34.[[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]]* Christian- Episcopalian 35.[[John Morton]]* Christian- Episcopalian 36.[[Thomas Nelson, Jr.]]* Christian- Episcopalian 37.[[William Paca]]* Christian- Episcopalian 38.[[John Penn]]| valign="top" |* Christian- Episcopalian 39.[[Robert Treat Paine]]* Christian- Congregationalist; Unitarian 40.[[George Read]]* Christian- Episcopalian 41.[[Caesar Rodney]]* Christian- Episcopalian [ 42.[[George Ross]] * Christian- Episcopalian43.[[Benjamin Rush]]* Christian- Presbyterian 44.[[Edward Rutledge]]*45.[[Roger Sherman]]*46.[[James Smith (signer)|James Smith]]*47.[[Richard Stockton]]*48.[[Thomas Stone]]*49.[[George Taylor]]*50.[[Matthew Thornton]]*51.[[George Walton]]*52.[[William Whipple]]*53.[[William Williams]]*54.[[James Wilson]]*55.[[John Witherspoon]]*56[[Oliver Wolcott]] *57.[[George Wythe]]
|}
*[[Roger Sherman]]
*[[Richard Dobbs Spaight]]
*[[George Washington]] (president of the conventionConvention)
*[[Hugh Williamson]]
*[[James Wilson]]
*[[William Jackson (secretary)|William Jackson]] (Secretary)
|}
== Other Founding Fathers ==
*[[Thomas Paine]]
|}
== Genius of the founding fathers ==
*[https://www.heritage.org/the-essential-constitution/the-genius-the-constitution The Genius of the Constitution], Heritage Foundation
*[https://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/first-principles-the-genius-of-the-constitution/article_d2c7ae87-dc04-59f1-8cb6-f287bd701312.html First Principles: The genius of the Constitution], ''The Daily Star''
*[https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/faculty_scholarship/454/ Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why it Can Again], abstract. Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_QMHo-Keac Why the Founding Fathers Were Probably Smarter Than Us], CBN News (Video)
*[https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2006/01/15/ben-franklin-was-a-genius/31470688007/ Ben Franklin was a genius], ''The Gainsville Sun''
*[https://washingtonpapers.org/resources/articles/george-washington-genius-in-leadership/ George Washington, Genius in Leadership], Washington Papers website
== Founding Fathers Quotes ==
* [http://www.marksquotes.com/Founding-Fathers/ Mark's Quotes: Founding Fathers Quotes]
* [http://www.dojgov.net/Liberty_Watch.htm USDOJ & Government Watch: Spirit of America Liberty Quotes]
* [http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm Eads Home Ministries: Founding Fathers Quotes]
==Further reading==
* [[Memorial Day]], [[Veterans Day]], [[Remembrance Day]]
* [[Vow]]
== References ==
{{reflist|1}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.archives.gov/ The National Archives]
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=iKrsV46o00AC Anti-slavery in America from the Introduction of African Slaves to the Prohibition of the Slave Trade (1619-1808)], by Mary Stoughton Locke, 1901
* [https://librivox.org/author/4127 Works by the Founding Fathers of the United States - text and free audio] - [[LibriVox]]
* [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35742/35742-h/35742-h.htm AMERICAN LEADERS AND HEROES], A PRELIMINARY TEXT-BOOK IN UNITED STATES HISTORY BY WILBUR F. GORDY, [[Project Gutenberg]]
== References ==
{{reflist|1}}
== Founding Fathers Quotes ==
* [http://www.marksquotes.com/Founding-Fathers/ Mark's Quotes: Founding Fathers Quotes]
* [http://www.dojgov.net/Liberty_Watch.htm USDOJ & Government Watch: Spirit of America Liberty Quotes]
* [http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm Eads Home Ministries: Founding Fathers Quotes]
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{{Nationalism}}
{{Greatest Thinkers}}
{{Conservatism}}
{{Greatest Thinkers}}{{Nationalism}}
{{Constitutional Convention}}
[[Category:Founding Fathers]]
[[Category:Republicanism]]