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[[File:Gilbert Stuart Portrait of George Washington.jpg|thumb|Portrait of George Washington by [[Gilbert Stuart]].]]
[[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 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 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 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]].
The overall philosophy of the founding fathers can be summarized as "[[Americanism]]."
===Freedom and natural law===
==Republicanism==
The founding fathers were heavily influenced by [[John Locke]], who promoted the principles of [[individual freedom]] and a [[limited government]] based on [[natural law]] and [[unalienable rights]], as advocated by [[John Locke]].<ref name="USHistory.org">[http://www.ushistory.org/gov/2.asp 2. Foundations of American Government]. ''USHistory.org''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref name="CRF-USA.org">[https://www.crf-usa.org/foundations-of-our-constitution/natural-rights.html The Declaration of Independence and Natural Rights]. ''Constitutional Rights Foundation''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref> The founding fathers themselves strongly supported these principles.<ref name="BoRI">[https://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/founders-quotes/ Founders’ Quotes on Founding Principles]. ''Bill of Rights Institute''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref>Bleau, Hannah (July 4, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/07/04/13-patriotic-quotes-from-americas-founding-fathers/ 13 Patriotic Quotes from America’s Founding Fathers]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved July 4, 2019.</ref> Their experience with the tyrannical British government made them distrustful of a powerful government, and their resolve to not repeat this experience is reflected in the U.S. Constitution and [[Bill of Rights]].<ref name="Best">Best, James D. [http://www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com/the-founders-believed-in-limited-government The Founders Believed in Limited Government]. ''What Would the Founders Think''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref> For example, the Constitution goes to great lengths to mandate the [[separation of powers]], and the Bill of Rights further limits government power to protect individual rights.<ref name="Best"/><ref>Pilon, Roger (July 21, 1995). [https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/founders-intended-only-limited-powers Founders Intended Only Limited Powers]. ''CATO Institute'' (from ''USA Today''). Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref name="Federalism">[http://www.ushistory.org/gov/3a.asp 3a. The Founders and Federalism]. ''USHistory.org''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref>Beeman, Richard R. [https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/white-pages/the-constitutional-convention-of-1787-a-revolution-in-government The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Revolution in Government]. ''Constitution Center''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/gov/2c.asp 2c. Creating the Constitution]. ''USHistory.org''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref><ref>[http://www.ushistory.org/gov/2d.asp 2d. The Bill of Rights]. ''USHistory.org''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref> The founders also emphasized the importance of property rights.<ref name="BoRI"/><ref>Snowball, Timothy (July 11, 2019). [https://pacificlegal.org/the-founding-fathers-of-our-limited-government-george-washington-and-the-importance-of-property-rights/ The Founding Fathers of our limited government: George Washington and the importance of property rights]. ''Pacific Legal Foundation''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref> Many of the founding fathers warned Americans to stay vigilant against trends that erode individual freedom, including the growth of bureaucracy, violation of the separation of powers, and judicial supremacy.<ref>[https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/strong-warnings-from-the-founders Strong Warnings from the Founders]. ''National Center for Constitutional Studies''. Retrieved August 24, 2019.</ref>
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.
[[Corruption]] was the great evil the Founding Fathers confronted. When Britain showed too much corruption, it was time to break free with the [[American Revolution]]. To overcome the temptations of corruption--such as luxury and bribery--in their own lives, the Founding Fathers cultivated the virtue of disinterestedness. That is, the made a conscious effort to not be the creature of his financial interests, and not give any sign to the public that they sought luxury or bribes. The goal was to be impartial, concerned only for the public good, not the advancement of friends or, still less, of party.
Even personal shame and humiliation was preferable to a tarnished honor or the hint of corruption. When Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton was accused of corruption for making secret payments to a man named James Reynolds, Hamilton revealed he had been set up and was paying blackmail to Reynolds following an affair with Mrs. Reynolds. Duels over honor were common in the era--Hamilton was killed in one, as was Hamilton's son.
Even personal shame and humiliation was preferable to a tarnished honor or the hint of corruption. When Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton was accused of corruption for making secret payments to a man named James Reynolds, Hamilton revealed he had been set up and was paying blackmail to Reynolds following an affair with Mrs. Reynolds. Duels over honor were common in the era—Hamilton was killed in one, as was Hamilton's son.
== Signatories of the [[Declaration of Independence]] ==
== Signatories of the [[Declaration of Independence]] ==
{|
{|
| valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
*1.[[John Adams]]
*[[John Adams]]
*[[Samuel Adams]]
*[[Josiah Bartlett]]
*[[Carter Braxton]]
*[[Charles Carroll of Carrollton|Charles Carroll]]
*[[Samuel Chase]]
*[[Abraham Clark]]
*[[George Clymer]]
*[[William Ellery]]
*
*[[William Floyd]]
*[[Benjamin Franklin]]
*[[Elbridge Gerry]]
*[[Button Gwinnett]]
*[[Lyman Hall]]
*[[John Hancock]]
*[[Benjamin Harrison V|Benjamin Harrison]]
*[[John Hart]]
*[[Joseph Hewes]]
*[[Thomas Heyward]]
| valign="top" |
*[[William Hooper]]
*
*[[Stephen Hopkins]]
*[[Francis Hopkinson]]
*[[Samuel Huntington (signer) |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]]
| valign="top" |
*
*[[Robert Treat Paine]]
*[[George Read]]
*[[Caesar Rodney]]
*
*[[George Ross]]
*[[Benjamin Rush]]
*[[Edward Rutledge]]
*
*[[Roger Sherman]]
*[[James Smith (signer)| James Smith]]
*[[Richard Stockton]]
*
*[[Thomas Stone]]
*[[George Taylor]]
*[[Matthew Thornton]]
*
*[[George Walton]]
*[[William Whipple]]
*[[William Williams]]
*
*[[James Wilson]]
*[[John Witherspoon]]
*[[Oliver Wolcott]]
*
*[[George Wythe]]
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
|}
|}
{|
{|
| valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
*[[Andrew Adams]]
*[[Samuel Adams]]
*[[Samuel Adams]]
*[[Thomas Adams]]
*[[John Banister]]
*[[Josiah Bartlett]]
*[[Josiah Bartlett]]
*[[Daniel Carroll]]
*[[Daniel Carroll]]
*[[William Clingan]]
*[[William Clingan]]
*[[John Collins]]
*[[John Collins]]
*[[Francis Dana]]
*[[Francis Dana]]
*[[John Dickinson]]
*[[William Henry Drayton]]
*[[William Henry Drayton]]
*[[James Duane]]
*[[James Duane]]
*[[William Duer]]
*[[William Duer]]
*[[William Ellery]]
*[[Elbridge Gerry]]
*[[John Hancock]]
*[[John Hanson]]
*[[John Hanson]]
*[[Cornelius Harnett]]
*[[Cornelius Harnett]]
*[[John Harvie]]
*[[John Harvie]]
*[[Thomas Heyward Jr.]]
*[[Samuel Holten]]
*[[Samuel Holten]]
*[[Titus Hosmer]]
*[[Titus Hosmer]]
*[[Samuel Huntington]]
*[[Richard Hutson]]
*[[Richard Hutson]]
| valign="top" |
| valign="top" |
*[[Edward Langworthy]]
*[[Edward Langworthy]]
*[[Henry Laurens]]
*[[Henry Laurens]]
*[[Francis Lightfoot Lee]]
*[[Francis Lightfoot Lee]]
*[[Richard Henry Lee]]
*[[Richard Henry Lee]]
*[[Francis Lewis]]
*[[Francis Lewis]]
*[[James Lovell]]
*[[James Lovell]]
*[[Henry Marchant]]
*[[Henry Marchant]]
*[[John Mathews]]
*[[John Mathews]]
*[[Thomas McKean]]
*[[Thomas McKean]]
*[[Gouverneur Morris]]
*[[Gouverneur Morris]]
*[[Robert Morris]]
*[[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]]
*[[John Penn]]
*[[John Penn]]
*[[Joseph Reed]]
*[[Joseph Reed]]
*[[Daniel Roberdeau]]
*[[Daniel Roberdeau]]
*[[Nathaniel Scudder]]
*[[Nathaniel Scudder]]
*[[Roger Sherman]]
*[[Roger Sherman]]
*[[Jonathan Bayard Smith]]
*[[Jonathan Bayard Smith]]
*[[Edward Telfair]]
*[[Edward Telfair]]
*[[Nicholas Van Dyke]]
*[[Nicholas Van Dyke]]
*[[John Walton]]
*[[John Walton]]
*[[John Wentworth Jr.]]
*[[John Wentworth Jr.]]
*[[John Williams]]
*[[John Williams]]
*[[John Witherspoon]]
*[[John Witherspoon]]
*[[Oliver Wolcott]]
|}
== Signatories of the [[United States Constitution]] ==
{|
*[[Oliver Wolcott]]
| valign="top" |
*[[Abraham Baldwin]]
*[[Richard Bassett]]
*[[Gunning Bedford, Jr.]]
*[[John Blair]]
*[[William Blount]]
*[[David Brearly]]
*[[Jacob Broom]]
*[[Pierce Butler]]
*[[Daniel Carroll]]
*[[George Clymer]]
*[[Jonathan Dayton]]
*[[John Dickinson]]
*[[William Few]]
*[[Thomas Fitzsimons]]
*[[Benjamin Franklin]]
*[[Nicholas Gilman]]
*[[Nathaniel Gorham]]
*[[Alexander Hamilton]]
*[[Jared Ingersoll]]
| valign="top" |
*[[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 (jurist)|William Paterson]]
*[[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]]
*[[Governor Charles Pinckney|Charles Pinckney]]
*[[George Read (signer)|George Read]]
*[[John Rutledge]]
*[[Roger Sherman]]
*[[Richard Dobbs Spaight]]
*[[George Washington]] (president of the Convention)
*[[Hugh Williamson]]
*[[James Wilson]]
*[[William Jackson (secretary)|William Jackson]] (Secretary)
|}
|}
|}
|}
==Further reading==
* Ellis, Joseph J. ''Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation'' (2002), good overview of leading figures by top scholar [http://www.amazon.com/Founding-Brothers-Revolutionary-Joseph-Ellis/dp/0375705244/ref=cm_lmf_img_5_rdssss0 excerpt and text search]
* McClanahan, Brion. ''The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers'' (2009), popular book by conservative writer. [http://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Founding-Fathers-Guides/dp/1596980923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251266508&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Wood, Gordon. ''Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different'' (2007), very good overview by leading conservative scholar [http://books.google.com/books?id=uOovRxek5AIC&dq=intitle:Revolutionary+intitle:Characters+inauthor:wood&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
==religious list of the singers of the us founding fathers from the articles of confederation the constitution and the declaration of indepence
== References ==
* [http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html The Constitution from the National Archives]
* [http://www.foundingfathers.info/documents/constitution.html The Constitution of the United States of America]
* McClanahan, Brion. ''The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Founding Fathers'' (2009), popular book by conservative writer. [https://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Founding-Fathers-Guides/dp/1596980923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251266508&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
== See also ==
== See also ==
* [[Hero]]: [[Gallery of American Heroes]]
* [[Hero]]: [[Gallery of American Heroes]]
* [[Memorial Day]], [[Veterans Day]], [[Remembrance Day]]
* [[Memorial Day]], [[Veterans Day]], [[Remembrance Day]]
* [[Oath Keepers]] - Support and defend the [[unalienable rights]] of [[America]]
* [[Vow]]
* [[Vow]]
* [[Police state]]s-[[Nanny state]]s violate the [[United States Constitution]]-[[Bill of Rights]] (especially [[Second Amendment]] and [[Fourth Amendment]]) and [[Citizen]]'s [[Unalienable rights]] by not upholding their oath to support and defend the [[Constitution]].
== References ==
== External Links ==
* [http://www.archives.gov/ The National Archives]
* [https://www.archives.gov/ The National Archives]
* [http://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/ The National Archives - Historical Documents]
* [https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/ The National Archives - Historical Documents]
* [http://patriotpost.us/histdocs/ The Patriot Post - Historical Documents]
* [http://patriotpost.us/histdocs/ The Patriot Post - Historical Documents]
== Founding Fathers Quotes ==
=== Founding Fathers Quotes ===
* [http://www.marksquotes.com/Founding-Fathers/ Mark's Quotes: 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.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]
* [http://www.eadshome.com/QuotesoftheFounders.htm Eads Home Ministries: Founding Fathers Quotes]
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