The Founding Fathers, How and Why They Defined America
How their roles were influenced by deep convictions about faith, freedom and independence.
When people talk about "the Founding Fathers," they’re often referring to a small group of men who set the foundation for what became the United States of America. But who exactly were these guys? Why did they step up to play such a massive role in American history? We owe these men a lot, not just for their fight for independence, but for the principles they embedded into our national DNA. Let’s dig into their backgrounds, motivations, and why their legacies still matter.
The Founding Fathers weren’t just a bunch of old dudes with powdered wigs writing documents for fun. These were men with real skin in the game—farmers, lawyers, inventors, and philosophers who saw something bigger for America than what British rule could offer. They came from various backgrounds, but the one thing they shared was a passion for freedom, liberty, and self-governance.
Men like George Washington, who led the Continental Army, Thomas Jefferson, who penned the Declaration of Independence, and John Adams, who fiercely argued for independence, weren't just filling roles—they were driven by personal convictions. Benjamin Franklin, a walking encyclopedia with a vision for the future, was critical in getting France to support the revolution. Each played a unique part because their skills and backgrounds naturally led them to it. But what united them was their belief in self-determination, something that simply couldn’t exist under British rule.
So why these guys? Why not some random colonial blacksmith or merchant? Well, the Founding Fathers were actually people of influence and education. They had access to the political, economic, and social circles where ideas about independence were brewing. But more than that, they had the guts to push for change when most others would’ve been content to keep their heads down. (i.e. they were afraid!)
Take Thomas Paine, for instance, who wrote “Common Sense”. His pamphlet laid out the reasons for independence in plain language, convincing everyday Americans that they deserved more than British oppression. Then there’s Patrick Henry, whose fiery "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech in 1775 rattled the bones of anyone who heard it. These men weren’t just rich elites—they had a real belief that liberty wasn’t just a right for the powerful, but for all people. And they were willing to stake their lives on it, literally and figuratively.
It’s easy to look back now and think, "Of course they won; it was destiny." But back then? Not so much. These guys were up against the most powerful empire on Earth. When they signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, they were signing their death warrants. Treason against the Crown got you “hanged by the neck until dead”, and there were no guarantees of success.
George Washington faced one of the toughest challenges, leading an underfunded, poorly equipped army against a professional British force. Yet he managed to keep the revolution alive through sheer will and his incredibly deep faith, even when things looked dire, like during the brutal winter at Valley Forge in 1777-78. Washington didn’t just play the role of a military leader; he became a symbol of American perseverance. His victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781 wasn’t just a military win; it was proof that the underdog could triumph.
Meanwhile, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were fighting battles of their own, though their battlefield was diplomatic and ideological. They had to convince not just the American people but foreign nations like France that this was a cause worth supporting. Adams famously declared, "The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people," long before shots were fired. (A quick side-note; this still applies today. See The Forgotten Right to Revolution here on RFP)
The Founding Fathers weren’t perfect. Let’s be very clear about that. Many of them owned slaves, including Jefferson, which flies in the face of their declarations of liberty and equality. Yet the principles they laid out in the Declaration of Independence and later in the U.S. Constitution were revolutionary for their time—and they remain the bedrock of American democracy today.
The idea that "all men are created equal" (despite its flawed initial execution) and that people have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" were radical concepts in the 18th century. Even though it took nearly a century and a bloody civil war (the most-accepted estimate was about 620,000 dead in total) to start living up to those ideals, the Founding Fathers planted the seeds. And let’s not forget the Bill of Rights, which laid out key freedoms like speech, religion, and due process—things we still fight about and that most of us still cherish today.
The Founding Fathers gave us a roadmap, but we’ve wandered off-course in a lot of ways. If you look at the political and social divides today, it’s clear that we’re straying from those founding principles of limited government, individual freedoms, and a balance of power. They were distrustful of centralized power—and for good reason. In my humble opinion we should be, too.
Their emphasis on individual liberty and self-governance is what we need to return to. The Founding Fathers understood that government works for the people—not the other way around. That’s a principle we’ve got to get back to, especially when you look at how bloated and disconnected the federal government has become.
If we’re serious about restoring America to the vision of the Founding Fathers, we’ve got to start by reminding ourselves of who they were and why they did what they did. They weren’t perfect, not even close, but their principles still hold up today as the best possible way forward.
Let’s start learning from their real struggles and ideals. America needs a wake-up call to restore the principles of liberty and limited government. Dive deeper into the founding documents, and demand that our leaders get back to the basics of freedom.