Our Founders Archives - Page 3 of 4

Richard Henry Lee and Independence

October 5, 2022 Margo Louis 1

Richard Henry Lee and America’s Steps to Independence Richard Henry Lee was a prominent statesman from Virginia. Though not a firebrand, like Patrick Henry, or quite as prolific as Thomas Paine, Lee became known as a powerful orator and writer. His words, spoken and in print, were important cogs in the wheels that churned toward America’s independence from England. Lee was born in Virginia and following home tutoring and then schooling in England, he returned to America and served as a Justice of the Peace for Westmoreland County. In 1758, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses and was later a delegate to Continental Congress. The Steps Toward Independence Following the Seven Years […]

Bradford: The First Constitution of the New World

September 21, 2022 Clay Blanche 0

Bradford, Plymouth and The Mayflower Compact Preface: William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth colony, and his famous and moving diary, a History of Plymouth Plantation, one of the great works of New England literature, will be drawn on heavily in this article. Bradford, The Pilgrims of Plymouth and the First Constitutional Government in the New World Bradford was not only a gifted writer, he would also become one of the heroic pioneers of Western history, laying the cornerstones that made possible the building of the American Republic. On August 5, 1620, the Pilgrims set sail, encountering, according to Bradford, “many fierce storms in which the ship was soundly shaken.” Amazingly, only two died on the […]

Algernon Sidney, Unsung Founding Father

June 5, 2022 John Barrett 0

Algernon Sidney, An Unsung Founder Every year, as we approach the anniversary of his beheading, I pay tribute to Algernon Sidney. Since so few people have heard of Col. Sidney, much less know of his influence on the founding fathers, I believe it is important to provide some information about him. Algernon Sidney was an associate of John Locke and one of the luminaries of the Whig Movement (not to be confused with the Whig Party in the U.S.). While Locke fled to Holland upon being implicated in the Rye House Plot to assassinate, King Charles II, Col. Sidney stayed and was arrested. At trial, the primary evidence against Col. Sidney was the manuscript for […]

Freedom and Weapons, History Speaks

May 12, 2022 TFP Staff 0

Safety and Weapons from History’s Perspective When considering private citizens and weapons, our Founding Fathers (and Founding Mothers) could not have been more clear in their emphasis on several key ingredients to a solid, successful and free nation. They distinctly prized Individual Rights and the accompanying Freedom that comes with those Rights. They were firm in their belief that only a sound and moral citizenry could support real freedom. They placed faith, family and home high as priorities to support. Our Founders risked their lives and some lost their lives to support their freedom and be able to hand that freedom down to their children. Part of the Freedom they cherished included the ability to […]

The Mamas, The Papas and Our Founding

May 4, 2022 thefpAdmin 4

We cannot forget the mamas… The term, “Founders”, has long been in use, however the term, “Founding Fathers” wasn’t used until 1916. Warren Harding first used the term in his RNC Convention address in 1916 and again in his inaugural speech in 1921. However, no one should let that latter term distract from the real work of freedom, which was fought for by America’s Founding FAMILIES…papas, mamas and sometimes also their children. While much focus has gone to George, Thomas, Ben, and their cohorts, it cannot be forgotten that America’s Founding Families faced incredible challenges and sacrifices in the name of freedom. A Different Life Unlike today’s politicians, the colonial era leaders all had thriving […]

Button, The Most Valuable Signature

April 5, 2022 thefpAdmin 0

Button and the His Record-Breaking Signature Button Gwinnett – April circa 1735 to May 19, 1777 – Politics, rivalry and a duel Button was one of three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence. He served in Georgia’s colonial legislature in the Second Continental Congress and as president of the Revolutionary Council of Safety. His life, though short, followed a varied path than ultimately led to politics. From The Beginning Gwinnett was born in Down Hatherly, England in 1735. He married Ann Bourne in 1757 and the couple had three daughters. The couple moved from England to America in 1762. Prior to his involvement in government service, Button was an unsuccessful merchant. His retail attempts […]

Revolutionary Woman of Mystery: Who is Molly Pitcher

March 6, 2022 Maggie Dine 0

Founding Momma: Molly Pitcher Who is Molly Pitcher? The stories of countless women, who made heroic and significant efforts to found America, do not end with their support of their husbands and hard work to maintain family farms, businesses and homes. Nor do they end with the sacrifice of loved ones, life savings and homes or their long hours of making ammo and tending to the injured. The founding mothers took their fight for freedom to every aspect needed by their families and country. Case in point: Molly Pitcher, the name that has become the face of the role of women at the battlefront of the Revolutionary War. Many believe that Molly Pitcher is actually […]

America’s First Poet ~ Anne Bradstreet

March 2, 2022 jhenderson 0

THE TENTH MUSE: THE LIFE OF AMERICA’S FIRST POET, ANNE BRADSTREET Aboard the Arbella in 1630 — owned and operated by the Rev. John Winthrop — were perhaps the most consequential among the original inhabitants of Puritan New England approaching Massachusetts Bay area, where they would establish a colony. To understand the poetry of The Tenth Muse, understanding the harsh travel and then winters of the Massachusetts area and also the personality of the Puritan lifestyle in early America. That colony, destined to become the cornerstone of American culture through religious liberty, saw its settlers over time pave with cobblestones the long and winding road down which a radical new experiment would journey. While this path was […]

Who are “The Black Patriots”?

February 8, 2022 Peter Crowell Anderson 0

The Black Patriots of The American Revolution Who exactly are “The Black Patriots” of America? Get to know the crucial thousands, who played a critical role in the American Revolutionary War… By Definition… Whenever we celebrate our nation’s birthday, let us remember all the men and women who made this nation possible. Included in those remembered are at least 5,000 Black Men, who made a huge gamble and supported the Revolutionary Cause by fighting in the Continental Army. History records the name, Black Patriot, was used for all African Americans who sided with the colonists in opposing the British. The term, Black Patriot, refers to, but is not limited to, the 5,000 or more African […]

Justice: The Absence of Injustice

May 2, 2021 Lynda Bryant Work 0

Building a Great Nation, Part 5 Justice: The Absence of Injustice Having suffered the many injustices of the British government, the Founders were intent on establishing a system of justice, order and defense within the legitimate function of the political realm a limited and delegated authority. Because they believed a person’s unalienable rights such as life, liberty, property, personal pursuit of goals and happiness are gifts from God’s natural law, the role of government they believed would be to secure those unalienable rights. They saw laws as protecting the citizen from criminals and the Constitution protecting the citizen from the government. The Founders saw justice as the absence of injustice achieved by securing individual rights. Justice […]