Benjamin Franklin created his “Project for Moral Perfection” in order to become as perfect as he could in his chosen principles.
George Washington was taught at the request of his father in Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour.
Thomas Jefferson sometimes recited the Lord’s 10 Commandments out behind the barn to help his school go faster.
John Adams’ father wanted him to become a minister and that’s the main reason he was sent to The College of New Jersey to study.
Patrick Henry had a tradition of spending each evening with his family to read scriptures together.
The original Founding Fathers didn’t seem to move around too much. You know, sell their homes and find another. George Washington loved Mount Vernon so much that he wanted to return there instead of serving another term as President.
It’s absolutely a fact that the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, in Philadelphia. Jefferson was a member of the committee assigned by the Continental Congress to create such a document if one should be needed. The committee was made up of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. They chose Jefferson to write the draft for their review and approval. He did. At the Graff House. The committee approved it with only minor changes.
This week’s commemoration of Good Friday and then Easter Sunday is an important milestone in the Christian Religion. It was honored by our Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson said that the “Wee Little Book” he created is “proof positive that I am a real Christian . . . .”
It doesn’t get much notice these days, but John Adams actually had quite a bit to do with our country becoming independent. One very interesting letter was written by Adams in support of William Hooper’s (William Hooper, who’s he?) preparation of a new written constitution for the State of North Carolina. This letter was later published by a Philadelphia printer. Here’s one sample paragraph:
The Second Continental Congress was called on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Patrick Henry was elected by the people of Virginia to represent them at their own State convention. It wasn’t even a State yet! But that’s why Patrick Henry stayed home rather than attend the continuation of the Second Continental Congress like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were commissioned to travel to New York to meet with the British at the request of Lord William Howe, a British General. As the two traveled to the scheduled meeting to try to resolve the problems that had caused the Revolutionary War, they had to spend a night at an Inn.