Category: Founding Fathers

Formative Years in the Caribbean Alexander Hamilton was born in Charlestown, Nevis, an island in the West Indies, between 1755 and 1757. His father, James Hamilton, was a Scottish merchant, and his mother, Rachel Fawcett, was of French Huguenot descent. They were not legally married due to Rachel's prior unresolved marital status, which led to…

Family Background and Puritan Influence John Adams, born to John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston, hailed from a lineage deeply rooted in the Puritan tradition that pervaded Massachusetts in the 18th century. The Adams family commanded respect within their community due to their religious and moral values. Deacon John Adams Sr., John's father, was a…

Early Life and Education Roger Sherman was born in Newton, Massachusetts and later lived in Stoughton. Despite sparse formal schooling, he pursued a rigorous self-education with support from his father's well-stocked library. This ignited his intellectual curiosity from a young age. Though his days were predominantly consumed by farming duties, Sherman's engagement with books was…

Early Life and Education Gouverneur Morris was born in 1752 at Morrisania estate, now part of modern-day Bronx. His father was a judge and his grandfather a colonial governor. Morris enrolled in King's College (present-day Columbia University) at the age of 12. Early education during this colonial era typically prepared young men of Morris's class…

Early Life and Education John Adams, born on October 30, 1735, in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, grew up in modest surroundings, which instilled in him a strong work ethic. The eldest of three sons to farmer and cobbler John Adams Sr. and Susanna Boylston Adams, John's intellectual talents quickly became apparent at a local school.…

Early Life and Military Beginnings Born in 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, George Washington was introduced early to the expectations and challenges of the Virginia planter elite. His family had notable connections, with his father, Augustine Washington, involved in agriculture and iron mining, and his mother, Mary Ball Washington, hailing from a similarly well-placed lineage.…

Early Life and Education Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706, to Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger. He was the fifteenth of seventeen children in a family of modest means. Franklin's formal education was brief, lasting only until the age of ten due to financial constraints. However, his intellectual potential was…