Key Founding Figures: Washington and Jefferson
- John O’Brien, Jr.
- July 1, 2024
- Edited 3 weeks ago
Table of Contents
Who’s Your Daddy?
July is the month we celebrate Independence Day in the United States. It took a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears (literally) to gain our freedom from Great Britain. The Founding Fathers are always referred to as the ones who made it happen, but who are they? It depends on where you look for information. There were so many men and women who contributed to the fight that there is no definite list, but there are a few who are always considered to be at the top of any list created, such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton.
George Washington
George Washington is most known for being our first president. He was born in 1732 in the colony of Virginia. His father died when he was only 11, so his older brother raised him. Washington was educated in the basic core subjects but did not go to college.
When he was 20, he actually fought as a soldier for the British army in their war with France over the Ohio River Valley territory. After that war was over, he was elected to the colonial legislature by the people of Virginia. He got married and then settled at Mount Vernon.
While he was a government official, he spoke out about the unfair laws that Great Britain was forcing on the colonists. Soon, the colonists formed an army, and Washington was picked to be the leader. He was the head of the army for the five years that the Revolutionary War raged on.
When the war was over, each colony followed the Articles of Confederation, but that placed most power with the states, and individual states were not supporting each other. The new country needed a national leader. In 1787, state representatives gathered to write the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution created a strong federal government. Based on the Constitution’s directions, each state chose representatives to elect a president. George Washington received the most votes, which made him president, and John Adams received the second most votes, so he became vice president.
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson is mostly known for being the third president of the United States and being the author of the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Virginia in 1743. Jefferson lived with his tutor, away from home, from the time he was nine. He attended the College of William and Mary.
Like Washington, Jefferson spoke out about the unfair laws being forced on the colonists by Great Britain. Jefferson was picked to write a document explaining why the colonies should be free. The document became known as the Declaration of Independence and is still admired today for stating that “all men are created equal” and that all citizens deserve “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
While Jefferson was president, he made one of the greatest real estate deals ever! When he became president in 1801, the United States basically ended at the Mississippi River. France controlled the rest of the land. This land included the Port of New Orleans, which was a great spot for trade, and Jefferson wanted it. France agreed to sell the entire city of New Orleans, including the port, to the US for $10 million and threw in the rest of the land for another $5 million. This is known as the Louisiana Purchase.
