# Think Tank > History >  Who was the last Founding Father?

## Galileo Galilei

*Who was the last Founding Father?*

*James Monroe*

Pros - Monroe was the last Founding Father to be president of the United States.  He was the 4th president and he left office in 1825.  According to this book, he was the last Founding Father:

The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation's Call to Greatness
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Founding-.../dp/0306818086

Cons - When Monroe died in 1831, James Madison was still alive, as were others on this list.

*Charles Carroll*

Pros - Carroll was the last living signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Jefferson and Adams both died in 1826, and Carroll lived until 1832.

Cons - Founding Fathers are not usually restricted to just signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Such a definition would exclude George Washington and James Madison.

Charles Carroll of Carrollton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles..._of_Carrollton

*John Marshall*

Pros - Marshall was the last Founding Father to hold major national office.  He was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court until he died in 1835.

Cons - Marshall was outlived by James Madison.

John Marshall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marshall

*James Madison*

Pros - Madison was the last living signer of the Constitution when he died in 1836.  According to this book, he was the last Founding Father:

The Last of the Fathers: James Madison & The Republican Legacy
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Fathers-M.../dp/0521407729

Cons - I can't think of any.

*Aaron Burr*

Pros - Burr outlived James Madison.  Burr died in 1837.

Cons - Burr is often not counted as a Founding Father.  He did serve as an officer in the Revolutionary War.

Aaron Burr
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Burr

*Andrew Jackson*

Pros - Jackson served in the Revolutionary War as a teenage page.  He had a famous confrontation with a British Officer when he refused to shine his boots.  Jackson died in 1845.  He was the 7th president of the United States.

Cons - Jackson is not usually considered a Founding Father.

Andrew Jackson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Jackson

*Joseph Plumb Martin*

Pros - Martin died in 1850.  He published the only full eyewitness narrative of the Revolution in 1830.  He served from 1775 to 1783, and rose to the rank of a low-level officer.

Cons - Martin is not usually considered a Founding Father.

Joseph Plumb Martin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Plumb_Martin

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## wormyguy

Madison.

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## Galileo Galilei

sorry about misspelling Monroe.  I can't figure out how to fix it.

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## Aratus

technically its either john quincy adams, andrew jackson or joseph plumb martin!!!

the criteria is... being quite contemporary to the times, to our Revolution!

many of our soldiers lived on into the mid-1800s and had widows recieving 

their pensions. we either think of the major movers and shakers or we 

think of the militiamen and minutemen or we again go into the early years

of our presidents. van buren clearly is of a different time and age, i feel...

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## Aratus

in fairness to mr. madison, maybe it can be said he's the last great mind 
of the Revolutionary generation to die if chief justice john marshall isn't?

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## Brooklyn Red Leg

> *Aaron Burr*
> 
> Pros - Burr outlived James Madison. Burr died in 1837.


You forgot: Shot that arrogant, Mercantilist scum-sucking Son-of-a-Bitch Hamilton.

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## wormyguy

> You forgot: Shot that arrogant, Mercantilist scum-sucking Son-of-a-Bitch Hamilton.


Burr wasn't all that great either.  It would've been best had they killed each other.

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## TNforPaul45

Ron Paul

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## Brett

> Ron Paul


I was about to say this.

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