Author: Administrador

(September 27, 1722–October 2, 1803), was a Revolutionary leader and signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was the cousin John Adams, the second President. Samuel Adams was known as the “Father of the American Revolution.” He labored over 20 years as a patriot and leader. He instigated the Boston Tea Party, signed the Declaration … Continue reading “ADAMS,
SAMUEL”

(January 12, 1723–November 29, 1797), was the president of Harvard University and a member of the New Hampshire Convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution, 1788. He was an original member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. On May 31, 1775, Harvard President Samuel Langdon addressed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress: Wherefore is all this … Continue reading “LANGDON,
SAMUEL”

(January 28, 1715–September 8, 1780) was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, representing James City. He was appointed Judge of the High Court of Chancery and Court of Appeals. He was a member of the Committees of Correspondence, attended all major conventions, and in 1775, served as President Pro-tem of the Continental Convention. … Continue reading “NICHOLAS,
ROBERT CARTER”

(October 8, 1720–July 9, 1766), was a Congregational minister of West Church in Boston. In 1747, he graduated with honors from Harvard and in 1765, he was given the distinguished position of Dudlein Lecturer at Harvard. In 1765, reflecting the colonists’ feelings toward King George III’s hated Stamp Act, Jonathan Mayhew state in a sermon: … Continue reading “MAYHEW,
JONATHAN”

(April 19, 1721–July 23, 1793), was an American Revolutionary patriot, jurist and politician. He was distinguished as the only Founding Father to sign all four major founding documents: The Articles of Association, 1774; The Declaration of Independence, 1776; The Articles of Confederation, 1777; and The Constitution of the United States, 1787. Roger Sherman was a … Continue reading “SHERMAN,
ROGER”

(1714–December 6, 1788), was the bishop of St. Asaph Anglican Church in London, and a friend of Benjamin Franklin. In 1774, he appealed in the House of Lords: At present we force every North American to be our enemy. … It is a strange idea we have taken up, to cure their resentments by increasing … Continue reading “SHIPLEY,
JONATHAN”

(December 16, 1714–September 30, 1770), was an evangelist of the Great Awakening in the American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War. He attended Oxford with John and Charles Wesley, who began the Methodist movement. He confronted the established churches, resulting in doors being closed to him. He resorted to preaching out-of-doors, and the colonial population … Continue reading “WHITEFIELD,
GEORGE”

(September 6, 1711–October 7, 1787), was one of the founders of the Lutheran Church in America. He was the father of John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, the Lutheran clergyman who became a major general in the Continental Army and U.S. Senator. He was also father of Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, a clergyman who was a member … Continue reading “MUHLENBERG,
HENRY MELCHIOR”

(June 28, 1712–July 2, 1778), was a Swiss-born French philosopher, writer and political theorist. He was made famous by his essay on how arts and sciences corrupt human behavior, 1749. His works include: writing for Diderot’s Encyclopedie, 1745; Origin of the Inequality of Man, 1755; Confessions, 1782; and The Social Contract, 1762, which influenced the … Continue reading “ROUSSEAU,
JEAN JACQUES”

(1714–1767), was a German diplomat on assignment to Bern, Switzerland. He was acclaimed for having written The Law of Nations, 1758. This work, especially with its emphasis on liberty, equality of individuals, and the right of nations to defend themselves, significantly impacted the Founding Fathers. The son of a Protestant minister, Vattel’s work drew heavily … Continue reading “VATTEL,
EMMERICH DE”