Facts about the Founding Fathers

1. 13

   Fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence represented a combined wealth estimated at approximately two million dollars in 1776, making them collectively one of the richest groups in colonial America.

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2. 12

   Samuel Chase, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, was impeached by the House in 1805 for allegedly biased conduct during trials, becoming the first Supreme Court justice to face such charges.

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3. 11

   Twelve states ratified the Constitution by June 1788, with Delaware becoming the first on December 7, 1787, and New Hampshire providing the ninth and decisive ratification for the document's adoption.

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4. 10

   Forty-two of the fifty-five delegates who attended the 1787 Constitutional Convention had served in the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War.

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5. 09

   Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

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6. 08

   Alexander Hamilton wrote 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers published between 1787 and 1788 to advocate for ratifying the Constitution.

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7. 07

   John Jay served as the first Chief Justice of the United States from 1789 to 1795 while simultaneously serving as Minister to Great Britain and negotiating the 1794 Jay Treaty.

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8. 06

   James Madison's notes from the 1787 Constitutional Convention remained unpublished until 1840, four years after his death, preserving the only detailed record of the Founding Fathers' deliberations.

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9. 05

   George Washington's military commission from 1775 listed his annual salary as $500, making him the highest-paid officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.

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10. 04

    Of the 56 Declaration signers, 24 were captured, imprisoned, or had property destroyed by British forces during the Revolutionary War.

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11. 03

    Among the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 17 were lawyers, 14 were merchants, and 9 were physicians or scientists by profession.

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12. 02

    Benjamin Franklin, age 81, was the oldest delegate at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, while Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey was the youngest at 26.

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13. 01

    At least 13 of the 55 Constitutional Convention delegates in 1787 were slaveholders, including George Washington and James Madison.

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