The Founding Fathers of our nation offer an insight into how the Constitution was envisioned and created, the following offers some history on these great men:

Yes, there are others, but I found these to be interesting at the time I created this page -- I hope you enjoy my choices.

GEORGE WASHINGTON (1732-1799)

Highest Political Office: President (1789-1797)

George Washington was a man of few words, whose political ascension was attributable to his strength of character, rather than his intellect. 

In office, Washington served the nation best by keeping the government stable.  While advocating a strong national defense, he kept the country out of the escalating tension between England and France.

Notables:

Washington was a Federalist, so he favored a strong central government.  His closest political ally was Alexander Hamilton.  He was the only president to twice win unanimous approval (all of the votes cast) by the electoral college.

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JAMES MADISON (1751-1836)

Highest Political Office: President (1809-1817)

Madison was a soft-spoken and tiny man-about 5'4" and less than 100 pounds.  Too small to serve in the Revolutionary War, and turned to politics instead. 

Madison's presidency was marred by the War of 1812—the only war in which U.S. soil was overrun by enemy forces.  The war was precipitated by the widespread sentiment that the U.S. might conquer Canada, then a British territory.

Notables:

Aside from the war that nearly cost him his reelection, Madison's two terms were also memorable for the fact that both of his vice-presidents died while in office.

Jefferson and Madison were close friends throughout their lives.

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THOMAS JEFFERSON (1743-1826)

Highest Political Office: President (1801-1809)

Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, served as Minister to France (a pivotal diplomatic position) as the Constitution was being drafted.

Jefferson doubled the land size of the United States when he made the Louisiana Purchase for $15 million  from Napoleon.  Napoleon needed money to conquer Europe and Jefferson wanted the land to safeguard against a future French invasion and to encourage his vision of American being a land of small independent farmers.

Notables:

Jefferson was the quintessential Renaissance man and has been described as a:

Jefferson was fluent in Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, German.  He  was a supporter of equal rights and education for women, the right of all to have a free public education, a free library system and the creation of decimal system of weights and measures. He is also considered one of the preeminent architects in the history of the country.

Jefferson was a Republican, which at that time was the party of the common man.  He envisioned a nation built on agriculture, not industry.

Although his closest friend among the founding fathers was James Madison, Jefferson's most memorable friendship was with John Adams.  The friendship developed when they both worked on the committee that was responsible for the Declaration of Independence.  Their friendship turned to a bitter rivalry when they joined opposing political parties. They reconciled after both finished their presidencies, and they kept up a steady correspondence.   They both died on July 4, 1826 — 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

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JOHN QUINCY ADAMS (1735-1826)

Highest Political Office: President (1797-1801)

Nicknamed "Atlas of American Independence,"  Adams was a short (5'7"), plump man with an ego as big as his waistline.  Born and raised in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts, Adams was a lawyer by trade.

He was the longest living American president. He died at the age of 90, in Quincy.

Notables:

Adams was the first president to occupy the White House after the capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., during his administration.

Adams was a Federalist, and, as such, he held a more elitist view of government than his Republican rivals.  He was the first truly defense-minded president, Adams built the U.S. Navy to the point where it could compete with that of any nation.

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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (1706-1790)

Highest Political Office: Minister to France

Franklin made enough money from his publishing business—primarily on receipts from Poor Richard's Almanac—to retire at age 42.

He then devoted his life to writing, science, and politics. 

Notables:

Franklin had one illegitimate son, William, who became the Governor of New Jersey. William supported the British in the Revolution. That move resulted in the permanent estrangement of father and son.

Franklin's political activism had peaked long before the American party system fully evolved, but he was philosophically closer to the tenets of the Republican party.  He was suspicious of strong central governments and governors, be they kings or presidents. Indeed, Franklin advocated a three-person presidential committee rather than having a single president.

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ALEXANDER HAMILTON (1755-1804)

Highest Political Office: Treasury Secretary

Hamilton was consumed by his passion for a nation built around a strong and fiscally stable central government.

Hamilton called for a meeting of all 13 states at Annapolis Maryland in September 1786 to discuss the economic situation in the country at that time.  However, only five states sent representatives. There were not enough states for a quorum and the conference had no real authority. Undaunted, Hamilton then requested permission from the Congress of the Confederation (under the Article of Confederation) to invite representatives from the thirteen states to assemble in Philadelphia with the express purpose of "revising" the Articles of Confederation. Behind closed doors and with no real authority, the delegates decided to write an entirely new constitution.

Notables:

Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the West Indies, and moved to the colonies at the age of 17. His father, a Scottish trader, went bankrupt when Hamilton was 15, and the boy went to work in a counting house to help support the family.

Fresh out of Columbia University, he organized artillery regiments in New York for the Revolutionary War, and from 1779-1781 he was Washington's chief aide. When Washington assumed the presidency, he named Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury.

Hamilton's political legacy is embodied in the Federal Bank. He led the effort to establish the first such bank, which he saw as critical for sustaining the government's fragile finances.  His opponents saw the bank as an evil tool for expanding the power of the federal government, at the expense of the states. Hamilton is regarded as the "Father of the National Debt" because he felt that a national debt was really a "blessing". The more money the government owed to the people of the country, the more the people had a stake in the success of the country!

When Jefferson ran for president in 1800, he and Aaron Burr (both Republicans) tied, The election went to the Federalist-controlled House. Hamilton, founder of the Federalist party, convinced his colleagues to elect Jefferson over Burr. Burr then campaigned for governor of New York. Again, Hamilton swayed voters against Burr. Finally, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. Fatally wounded by his rival, Hamilton died one day later.

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