TEKS & TAKS The Founding Fathers

TAKS Objective 1 TAKS Objective 1, History  8.4 The student understands significant political and economic issues of the revolutionary era. The student is expected to (B) explain the roles played by significant individuals during the American Revolution, including Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, King George III, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, and George Washington.

TAKS Objective 4 TAKS Objective 4, Government  8.18 The student understands the dynamic nature of the powers of the national and state governments in a federal system. The student if expected to (A) analyze the arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, including Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, James Madison, and George Mason.

Objective 5 Objective 5, Critical Thinking Skills  Sequencing  Categorizing  Identifying cause- and-effect relationships  Comparing  Contrasting  Finding the main idea  Summarizing  Making generalizations  Drawing inferences  Drawing conclusions  Interpreting information from maps, graphs, charts, timelines  Identifying points of view  Identifying bias

George Washington Leadership Qualities  Tall, commanding presence  Symbol of American virtue  Charismatic warrior and politician  Abigail Adams said, “He has the dignity which forbids familiarity mixed with an easy affability which creates love and reverence.”

...continued Public Life  Land surveyor  Early military experience  Virginia House of Burgesses  Delegate to the Continental Congress  Commander in Chief of Continental Army  Presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention  First US president and “Father of His Country”

Thomas Paine  Immigrated to colonies shortly before Revolution  Wrote Common Sense, a call to revolution, in 1776  Wrote ideas of revolution in simple language for all to understand  His pamphlet, The Crisis, inspired the army to fight  Unsuccessful in a variety of jobs, he died a penniless drunkard “These are the times that try men’s souls.”

Thomas Jefferson A Renaissance Man  Political philosopher  Architect  Musician  Book collector  Scientist  Horticulturist  Diplomat & linguist  Inventor  Politician  Referred to his years as president as “splendid misery.” Author of the Declaration of Independence

Jefferson’s Tombstone Here was buried Thomas Jefferson Author of the Declaration of Independence Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom And Father of the University of Virginia “…and not one word more.”

Benjamin Franklin  As a printer he established the Pennsylvania Gazette and wrote Poor Richard’s Almanack  Invented the lightning rod, Franklin stove, and bifocal glasses  An accomplished musician, he played the violin, harp, and guitar  As a scientist, he was interested in electricity and the weather

…continued  As a statesman and diplomat he signed all four important documents of the Revolutionary era: Declaration of Independence Alliance with France Treaty of Paris US Constitution

Samuel Adams Major early leader of the American Revolution:  Led protest against Stamp Act  Founded the Sons of Liberty  Organized the Boston Tea Party  Served in the Continental Congress  Signed the Declaration of Independence

Alexander Hamilton  Aide-de-camp to Washington  Experience at Valley Forge brought him to feel that a strong central government was needed  At the Annapolis Convention, he drafted a call for the Constitutional Convention where he made the longest speech  Co-authored with Madison the Federalist Papers  States’ rights issue divided Madison and Hamilton

…continued  Dramatic orator with personal appeal  As Secretary of the Treasury he was responsible for establishing a policy of national credit and credibility Pay all foreign debts Pay domestic debts Assume state debts  According to a contemporary, “the mighty mind of Hamilton would at times bear down all opposition by its comprehensive grasp and the strength of his reasoning power.”  As a Federalist, he supported a strong Central government.

Patrick Henry  A passionate and fiery orator who proposed the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions  As a lawyer, he argued for broader suffrage  Served in the 1st Continental Congress and as Governor of Virginia  As an anti-Federalist, he strongly opposed the Constitution, favoring strong state governments and a weak federal government.

James Madison  Served in the Virginia House of Delegates  Served in the Continental Congress  “Father of the Constitution”  Sponsor of the Bill of Rights  A Federalist supporter, he co- authored the Federalist Papers  Secretary of State under Jefferson  4th president of the United States

John Adams  Harvard law graduate  Led Massachusetts movement for revolution  Served in Continental Congresses  Diplomatic service in Holland, France, Britain  Negotiated Treaty of Paris  1st vice president and 2nd president

Treaty 0f Paris, 1783

George Mason  One of the wealthiest Virginia planters  Protested Stamp Act  Protested Intolerable Acts in the Fairfax County Resolves  US Bill of Rights based on Mason’s Virginia Declaration of Rights  As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, he refused to sign the final document  Supported Anti-Federalist position

George III  Known as the king who lost the American colonies and went mad  Surrounded by poor ministers whose primary concern was their own interests  Strongly opposed the colonists’ revolt  Many of the colonists’ grievances were against acts of Parliament not actions of the king

…continued  John Adams said of the British: “The pride and vanity of that nation is a disease; it is a delirium; it has been flattered and inflamed so long by themselves and others that it perverts everything.”  About the loss of America, George III said: “...that knavery seems to be so much the striking feature of its inhabitants that it may not be in the end an evil that they become aliens to this Kingdom.”

Compare and Contrast the Founding Fathers below:  Jefferson and Franklin  Washington and Samuel Adams  Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine  Hamilton and Jefferson

Place the Founding Fathers into the following categories Place the Founding Fathers into the following categories:  Southern Planters (Tidewater & Piedmont)  Lawyers  Journalists/Writers  Military Commanders  Politicians  Agitators/Radicals  Diplomats

Inferences, Conclusions, & Generalizations  Inferences about social status of revolutionaries  Conclusions about the characteristics of people who bring about revolutions, those who carry out revolutions, and those who finish revolutions  Generalizations about personal qualities of leaders of revolutions