16 Interesting Facts about the Founding Fathers

As you spend time with your family today on our country’s 234th birthday, let’s learn a little more about the brave individuals who helped shape our country into what it is today. Maybe read these with your kids! Most of these facts are from ConstitutionFacts.com which is filled with interesting information, historical documents like The Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation, as well as games and fun quizzes to help you test your knowledge of America’s rich history.

So let’s learn a little:
- They had to beg George Washington to be president. He was 56, retired and living at Mount Vernon but he liked the brand-new Constitution so he said yes. He won all 69 votes in the Electoral College – a unanimous victory.
- George Washington was born on February 11, 1732, but Great Britain changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1751. An act of Parliament added 11 days to the calendar so in 1752 Washington celebrated his birthday on February 22!
- George Washington was the only Founding Father who became president but never went to college. John Adams graduated from Harvard, James Madison graduated from Princeton, and Thomas Jefferson went to the College of William and Mary.
- Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson both had red hair but that’s about all they had in common. They ended up bitter rivals because of their differing philosophies which lead to the 2-party system of government we have today.
- James Madison was called “Jemmy” and was only 5 foot 4 inches – the shortest president to this day.
- Thomas Jefferson was 6 foot 2 ½ inches – the third tallest president behind Abraham Lincoln (6 ft 4in) and Lyndon Johnson (6ft 3 ½ in)
- John Adams was the first President to reside in the White House when he arrived in Washington, D.C. in November of 1800. However, he was only there for four months after losing the election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson.
- George Washington gave the shortest inauguration speech in American history – 133 words long – on March 4, 1793. The longest was given by William Henry Harrison at 8,443 words on March 4, 1841 on a cold, windy day in Washington, D.C.. He died one month later of a severe cold.
- Thomas Jefferson’s epitaph read: “Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, of the statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and the father of the University of Virginia.” It didn’t include “President of the United States”!
- At age 83, Thomas Jefferson felt that he would not live through the summer of 1826, but he hoped to live through July 4th, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Both he and John Adams died on July 4, 1826 after long and distinguished careers. They had earlier been friends, then political enemies, and by the end of their lives had maintained a steady correspondence. Adams’ last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives” not knowing that Jefferson had passed earlier that day in Virginia. He was 90. Jefferson’s last words were: “Is it the Fourth? I resign my spirit to God, my daughter, and my country.”
- Five years after Jefferson and Adams passed, President James Monroe also died on July 4, 1831.
- George Washington died on December 12, 1797. His last words were: “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go … Let me go quietly. I cannot last long … It is well.”
- Alexander Hamilton was killed by Aaron Burr in a duel over political disagreement in Weehawken, New Jersey on July 1804. Hamilton’s son, Philip, had died in a duel three years earlier (1801) at the same location.
- By signing the Declaration of Independence, the Founders committed treason to the Crown of England; the penalty was hanging. George Washington, Patrick Henry and Alexander Hamilton did not sign it because they were not there that day. Eighteen of the 56 signers were under 40 years old; 3 were in their 20s. Ben Franklin was the oldest signer.
- All but Samuel Adams were very rich landowners and had a lot to lose by taking the risk of signing. John Hancock was one of the richest men in the entire country and had a price of 500 pounds on his head. He signed the Declaration of Independence so large so the king could read his name without putting on glasses and so he would double the amount of the bounty!
- Many of the Declaration of Independence signers had their homes plundered and burned down, their wives beaten or killed, children taken. One man lived in a cave to escape the British soldiers, who took all 13 of his children. One man was captured and starved. None renounced their new country, even in the face of complete ruin.
Brave men, smart men, men of honor. Remember these men today and what they did for the love of our country. Happy Independence Day!
PS- Don’t forget Constitution Day September 17! Check out ConstitutionFacts.com for much more information – you can even order your own pocket copy of The Constitution!
Additional information for this story was found in the article “The Americans Who Risked Everything” and Presidential Campaigns by Paul F. Boller, Jr. (ISBN 0-19-516716-3)

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