Who was the most important Founding Father?

Answer 1

Some people might disagree but in my opinion it was George Washington. He led the military struggle for independence and, by his example, provided a lot of the political will necessary to see it through. When the war was over he made it possible for a free people not to succumb to military dictatorship by eschewing political power and retiring to his farm. That example inspired the members of the constitutional convention to design a government with a much stronger executive than they other wise would have because they expected Washington to fill the post and trusted him with power. His every move as president set a precendent which is followed to this day. In particular his decision to again retire rather than trying to keep the presidency for life. Michael Montagne Benjamin Franklin, of course! He was the only American to sign all four documents which defined the birth of our new nation: The Declaration of Independence, the treaties with France and England, and the Constitution. His words and ideas of a true democracy are found throughout all four documents. His skills of negotiation brought French money and supplies to our struggling Continental Army, and later he was responsible for bringing the French troops and navy to Yorktown. His reknown as a conciliator kept the Constitutional Convention moving in a negotiative spirit; and it was Ben that had George Washington nominated to be our first president. Amberham Lincoln he freed the slaves. The most important person in developing America had to be Jefferson. He was the one with the great idea of the bill of rights. Without them we would be in constant argument of what rights we are really entitled to. The bill of rights easy spells out our rights for easy reference.At times there is confusion about the true meanings of some of the rights since they are broad, but they are a great starting point. The answer to this question depends on what you consider important, but I think it was Alexander Hamilton (this is kind of funny, because he wasn't from the colonies, but from the Caribbean). Not only did he get the Constitutional Convention (there wasn't anyone more committed to that Constitution than he was) up and running after the Annapolis Convention of 1786, he wrote 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers. It was Hamilton, not Madison, who came up with the idea, and it was also Hamilton who wrote No. 78 which sketched out the groundwork for judicial review. In addition he set up the entire United States financial system, giving us good credit and no debt which proved helpful when Jefferson wanted to buy Louisiana. The Coast Guard (in 1962 we /still/ used the protocols he wrote up), the Customs Service, the US Mint/our uniform currency, and the Federal Reserve all originate to him and the Treasury Department, which he helped to define. Lastly he was a part of several main Supreme Court cases, like Croswell v People, which effects how we try you for libel - truth and intent protect you.

There are also 2 clarifications I'd like to make at this point -- Thomas Jefferson didn't write the Bill of Rights nor come up with the idea. At the time he was overseas working as a diplomat. That would have been James Madison, who promised the ardent Anti Federalists in Virginia that a Bill of Rights would be made if the Constitution just got passed. He also wrote the actual bill. In addition Abraham Lincoln does not count as a Founding Father. Influential? Certainly. But Founders refers to the men who started the entire nation and wrote the Constitution/Declaration. Freeing the slaves came later.

Answer 2

Everyone would agree that George Washington would top the list but after that you might get differences of opinion. Numbers two and three could be drawn from a list including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay and perhaps even others depending on what kind of contribution you consider most important. Consider that it was Jefferson who wrote the declaration of independence but it was the Adams's who were the prime political movers in congress to get it to declare independence. Which is more important? Michael Montagne

Answer 3

Alexander Hamilton was the most important founding father because through his work a strong, principled federal government was created. This was done by his push for the constitutional convention and his participation on the renowned Federalist papers, of which he wrote 52 of the 85 essays. He also greatly contributed in the struggle against the British in the revolutionary war as Washington's top aide, creating the American banking system as secretary of the treasury, and always fought for peoples rights and preserving law in the face of mob rule and cronyism. His achievements are even more incredible when one considers the difficulties he overcame in his tumultuous childhood in the West Indies. Without Hamilton, the United States very well may not have been united today.

Answer 4

In my opinion it was Patrick Henry. His stirring speeches roused up the nation for independence and liberty.

Answer 5

john Locke