History Archives - The Founding Project

Button, The Most Valuable Signature

November 27, 2024 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 […]

A Warrior’s Final Call: To Those Who Served

November 11, 2024 Guest Writer 0

A Tribute to Those Who Served To Those Who Served: “My poem, “A Warrior’s Final Call”, is my tribute, to those who have served this nation from its spark of inception known as the Revolutionary War to those today, at this moment, who are serving, whether in their own backyards, or far from home in some foreign land. This is my way of honoring my deep family military heritage, but also the line of all families whose blood runs not only red, but also white and blue. A Heritage of Those Who Served From my many-greats grandfather, who was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, to my ancestor, General John A Logan of the Union […]

A Voice from World War One: A Very Dull Day

November 7, 2024 Guest Writer 6

A Very Dull Day, a Voice from World War One… One hundred years ago, George Erie Black, was one of many brave Americans involved in the war that was thought would end all wars. Black was inducted into service on February 23, 1918. He shipped off to France on June 15, 1918 on U.S.S. Susquehanna and landed in France on June 22, 1918 to become part of the AEF in World War I. American Expeditionary Forces The AEF or American Expeditionary Forces was a formation of the United States Army on the Western Front of World War I. The AEF was established on July 5, 1917, in France under the command of Gen. John J. […]

Lemuel Haynes, Our African-American Founder

October 19, 2024 TFP Staff 2

Lemuel Haynes: Pastor, Patriot, Poet On July 18, 1753, Lemuel Haynes was born to a white mother “of respectable ancestry” and an African father in West Hartford, Connecticut. His parents abandoned him as a child, giving him to a local deacon in Middle Granville, Massachusetts. Lemuel’s parents had an agreement with Deacon John Haynes that their son would work on Haynes’ farm until age 21 in exchange for housing and education. His Youth Thus, Lemuel spent his youth as an indentured servant working on a Massachusetts farm to earn his keep. He worked on the farm by day and studied at night. With a basic education, Lemuel developed a passion for books, especially for the […]

Algernon Sidney, Unsung Founding Father

October 15, 2024 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 […]

Revolutionary Mystery Woman: Molly Pitcher

August 16, 2024 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 […]

The Articles of Confederation Complete Text

July 9, 2024 thefpAdmin 0

TO ALL TO WHOM these Presents shall come, we the undersigned Delegates of the States affixed to our Names send greeting. Whereas the Delegates of the United States of America in Congress assembled did on the fifteenth day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy seven, and in the Second Year of the Independence of America agree to certain articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in the Words following, viz. “Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union between the states of New […]

Founding Mama: Betsy Ross

July 6, 2024 Joe Chiang 0

Betsy Ross…In Her Words A glimpse into the life of Betsy Ross, using her words as she may have spoken them, to tell her story… I am Betsy Ross. Over the last several hundred years, it seems you may have forgotten what happened in the making of our nation’s flag so long ago. Here is my story and that of our flag… I was born Elizabeth Griscom on January 1, 1752. My father was Samual Grisom, a carpenter, like Jesus’ dad, Joseph, and my mom was Rebecca James Grisom. I had 17 brothers and sisters. We went to a Quaker school nearby. The Quakers are called “Friends”. When I became old enough, I learned to […]

The Declaration of Independence, Exact Transcript

July 3, 2024 thefpAdmin 0

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription Editor’s Note: This is a transcription of the Engraving of the parchment of The Declaration of Independence, a document on display in the National Archives Museum Rotunda. The spelling, punctuations and wording is exact to the original document. The signers of this Declaration are included at the bottom, along with the state they represented. In Congress, July 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the […]

Only In America, Part 3: Enter Government

June 24, 2024 thefpAdmin 0

Only in America, Part Three: Enter Government Enter Government, Part Three: The Founding Project introduced our readers to Dr. Jerome Huyler’s work, Only in America, breaking it into an introduction followed by a three part series. Dr. Huyler began with the story of America and its greatness via his study of history and American life in the first chapter. His second chapter further explored America’s growth and effects of freedom, free markets and the aspects of liberty, which allowed individuals a growth, flourishing and prosperity not previously experienced by other nations. Huyler’s work is an observation of America and also on civics education in America and is being presented by The Founding Project in a series of […]