8 Founding Fathers and How They Helped Shape the Nation

Without them, there would have been no United States of America. The Founding Fathers, a group of predominantly wealthy plantation owners and businessmen, united 13 disparate colonies, fought for independence from Britain and penned a series of influential governing documents that steer the country to this day.

All the Founding Fathers, including the first four U.S. presidents, at one point considered themselves British subjects. But they revolted against the restrictive rule of King George III—outlining their grievances in the Declaration of Independence, a powerful (albeit incomplete) call for freedom and equality—and won a stunning military victory over what was then the world’s preeminent superpower.
The Eight Founding Fathers:
George Washington
Alexander Hamilton
Benjamin Franklin
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison