who were the founding fathers and what did they do
Founding Fathers of the United States
Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers : John Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Alexander Hamilton , John Jay , Thomas Jefferson , James Madison , and George Washington . Adams , Jefferson , and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence . Hamilton , Madison , and Jay were authors of The Federalist Papers , advocating ratification of the Constitution . The constitutions drafted by Jay and Adams for their respective states of New York ( 1777 ) and Massachusetts ( 1780 ) were heavily relied upon when creating language for the US Constitution . Jay , Adams and Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris ( 1783 ) that would end the American Revolutionary War . Washington was Commander - in - Chief of the Continental Army and was President of the Constitutional Convention . All held additional important roles in the early government of the United States , with Washington , Adams , Jefferson , and Madison serving as President . Jay was the nation 's first Chief Justice and Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury . While Franklin was America 's most senior diplomat and later the governmental leader of Pennsylvania . 
Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers : John Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Alexander Hamilton , John Jay , Thomas Jefferson , James Madison , and George Washington . Adams , Jefferson , and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence . Hamilton , Madison , and Jay were authors of The Federalist Papers , advocating ratification of the Constitution . The constitutions drafted by Jay and Adams for their respective states of New York ( 1777 ) and Massachusetts ( 1780 ) were heavily relied upon when creating language for the US Constitution . Jay , Adams and Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris ( 1783 ) that would end the American Revolutionary War . Washington was Commander - in - Chief of the Continental Army and was President of the Constitutional Convention . All held additional important roles in the early government of the United States , with Washington , Adams , Jefferson , and Madison serving as President . Jay was the nation 's first Chief Justice and Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury . While Franklin was America 's most senior diplomat and later the governmental leader of Pennsylvania .
Historian Richard B. Morris identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and George Washington. Adams, Jefferson and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Hamilton, Madison and Jay were authors of The Federalist Papers, advocating ratification of the Constitution. Jay, Adams and Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris (1783) that would end the American Revolutionary War. Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and was President of the Constitutional Convention.
Historian Richard B. Morris in 1973 identified the following seven figures as the key Founding Fathers : John Adams , Benjamin Franklin , Alexander Hamilton , John Jay , Thomas Jefferson , James Madison , and George Washington . Adams , Jefferson , and Franklin were members of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence . Hamilton , Madison , and Jay were authors of The Federalist Papers , advocating ratification of the Constitution . Jay , Adams and Franklin negotiated the Treaty of Paris ( 1783 ) that would end the American Revolutionary War . Washington was Commander - in - Chief of the Continental Army and was President of the Constitutional Convention .