To address concerns that a strong national government might encroach on the rights of citizens, Madison also wrote a series of amendments outlining the rights of the people, which were added to the Constitution as the Bill of Rights in The Grand Experiment The Founding Fathers often viewed their new government as an experiment, but this was an experiment they desperately wanted to succeed.
Their experiment resulted in a constitutional republican form of government that has withstood both internal and external threats, including a bloody Civil War, and has led the United States to become the most powerful country in the world. In the end, the legacy of the Founding Fathers is the promise of liberty and justice , not only for Americans, but for any people willing to invest in democratic self-government. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit.
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The American Revolutionary War took place from , although the revolt against British Colonial rule began years before war was formally declared. The English Enlightenment influenced the thoughts of many of the colonial Founding Fathers as they pursued liberty, fought for their rights, and for freedom from King George III.
Unlike many of the Founders, Adams was staunchly anti-slavery. He signed the Declaration of Independence and went on to serve as governor of Massachusetts. Well educated and prosperous, Thomas Jefferson was a Virginia lawyer and politician who came to believe the British Parliament held no authority over the 13 colonies. As secretary of state under Washington, Jefferson clashed constantly with Hamilton over foreign policy and the role of government.
He later served as vice president to John Adams prior to becoming president, himself, in At the Constitutional Convention, he proved to be perhaps the most influential delegate, developing a plan to divide the federal government into three branches—legislative, executive and judicial—each with checks on its power.
Madison next co-authored the Federalist Papers and, as a U. Not nearly as recognized as his major Founder cohorts, John Jay nonetheless played a pivotal role in the creation of the United States. A lawyer, he originally preferred reconciling with Britain rather than fighting for independence.
Once war broke out, however, he wholeheartedly joined the side of the colonists, serving, among other roles, as a diplomat to Spain and linking up with Franklin and Adams to negotiate the Treaty of Paris. Upon returning to the United States, Jay served as secretary of foreign affairs under the Articles of Confederation and authored a few of the Federalist Papers. In , he became the first chief justice of the U. Supreme Court, and six years later he was elected governor of New York.
Many other figures have also been cited as Founding Fathers or Mothers. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Fifty-five delegates attended the Constitutional Convention. Historian Richard B. It also ignores the longstanding efforts of Black Americans to hold the country to the ideals of the Revolution. Obama himself surely counts as part of that new founding, as does L.
Douglas Wilder , the first elected Black governor of the United States. Encyclopedia Virginia is full of examples of Black Americans, women, and others who have engaged in the work of perfecting our democracy. How they accomplished what they did is essential in the study of American history and in understanding the global and timeless impacts of their work.
Fact 5: While they all played important roles, the Founding Fathers often disagreed with each other. The Founding Fathers are often viewed as largely in agreement and are often referred to as a single entity that all worked together to create one American nation.
In reality, they had extremely different views on all sorts of issues, including the role of the federal government, the issue of slavery , and how radical or moderate the American Revolution should be.
At times, these differences of opinion destroyed friendships and threatened to pull the country apart. Often viewed as old men with white wigs and false teeth, many of the Founding Fathers were quite young when they helped create the Country.
George Washington was 43 years old when he accepted command of the American Army during the war. Thomas Jefferson was 33 years old when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. John Adams was 40 years old when he argued for American independence. James Madison was 36 years old when he was at the Constitutional Convention.
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