Read information about the "Founding Fathers" of the United States of America, including George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, Gouverneur Morris, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, and Edmund Randolph.

This activity is designed to help students understand the debates at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that shaped America’s legislative branch of government. The primary goal of this activity is for students to discover how a compromise balanced the needs of large states and small states and how this led to the creation of the current House of Representatives and Senate.

Take the Founding Fathers quiz to find out how much you know about the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.

One of the most significant documents in Constitutional History, George Washington's Farewell Address, is a letter written by the first American President, George Washington, with the help of Alexander Hamilton, to "The People of the United States." Washington wrote the letter near the end of his second term as President.

When the Founding Fathers weren't out fighting wars, drafting important documents like the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution, or helping to found a country, they were at home with their families and businesses. Here are the places the Founding Fathers called "home," and some interesting facts about each man's personal estate.

Once his political career had ended, George Washington made a deliberate effort to organize and preserve his personal papers. He had the incredible foresight to know that his life and career influenced the appeal of the documents, and that they would become the foundation for much knowledge about the Revolutionary period and first presidency. At one point he even considered building a library to house them. Unfortunately, Washington died in 1799 before the grand library could be constructed.

Unlike the large amount of documentation surviving George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, relatively few papers exist to grant insight into James Madison's personal life. Madison didn't attempt to keep many of these private documents, and whether from humility or another unknown reason, he didn't think they would be of any importance to history. The few scattered documents which remained survived through the efforts of family and collectors.

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most prolific authors in United States Constitutional History, and his works both public and private have been preserved through the efforts of countless historical societies throughout the country. Most famously through these sources: Library of Congress and
Monticello.

The U.S. Constitution brought together, in one remarkable document, ideas from many people and several existing documents, including the Articles of Confederation and Declaration of Independence. Those who made significant intellectual contributions to the Constitution are called the "Founding Fathers" of our country.