Who was the Greatest Founding Father?

[Galileo Galilei]

Alright - who voted for Hamilton?

There are a lot of people who know Hamilton purely from the Federalist Papers.

This includes those in law school, who study the Federalist Papers, but hear nothing of Hamilton's banking policies.

The ratio of people who read the Federalist Papers to those who read Hamilton's Report on Manufacters, is probably a thousand to one.

Also, if you read the Federalist Papers, it is easy to confuse what Hamilton wrote, and maybe several years later think Hamilton wrote something that Madison did.

Hamilton was also one of the few Founding Fathers to fight in the front lines and expose himself to gunfire in the Revolution. He wrote many solid patriotic pamplets and letters during the Revolution.

He helped expose the Newburg Conspiracy.

He also has the personally heroic story of rising from nowhere, with no parents, in the middle of the ocean, to make something of his life, learn ancient Greek and Latin when he was 10 years old.

He also helped Jefferson get elected president in 1800.

He helped organize the Constitutional Conventional and helped get it ratified in New York.

Hamilton is accused of flip-flopping, but other Founding Fathers did as well. For example, George Clinton, the enemy of Hamilton and the Constitution, later became Vice-president! So did Elbridge Gerry. Even Patrick Henry agreed to run for federal office.

So, no, I am not a Hamilton fan, I wouldn't vote for him in this poll, but Hamilton's positives outweigh his negatives.

 

[RedStripe]

There are a lot of people who know Hamilton purely from the Federalist Papers.

This includes those in law school, who study the Federalist Papers, but hear nothing of Hamilton's banking policies.

The ratio of people who read the Federalist Papers to those who read Hamilton's Report on Manufacters, is probably a thousand to one.

Also, if you read the Federalist Papers, it is easy to confuse what Hamilton wrote, and maybe several years later think Hamilton wrote something that Madison did.

Hamilton was also one of the few Founding Fathers to fight in the front lines and expose himself to gunfire in the Revolution. He wrote many solid patriotic pamplets and letters during the Revolution.

He helped expose the Newburg Conspiracy.

He also has the personally heroic story of rising from nowhere, with no parents, in the middle of the ocean, to make something of his life, learn ancient Greek and Latin when he was 10 years old.

He also helped Jefferson get elected president in 1800.

He helped organize the Constitutional Conventional and helped get it ratified in New York.

Hamilton is accused of flip-flopping, but other Founding Fathers did as well. For example, George Clinton, the enemy of Hamilton and the Constitution, later became Vice-president! So did Elbridge Gerry. Even Patrick Henry agreed to run for federal office.

So, no, I am not a Hamilton fan, I wouldn't vote for him in this poll, but Hamilton's positives outweigh his negatives.

Yea, I'm not saying he didn't do a lot to end British tyranny in the United States, or that he a completely terrible person relative to the others, but he definitely seems like one of the weakest choices to me.

 

[Number19]

James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin.

This I can agree with. I'll add only one comment, in support of Paine. Washington won the Revolution with the sword. Tom Paine won the Revolution with the pen.

 

[LibertyEagle]

This is a good book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1596980923/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

No love for George Mason. He was as fiery, as "radical", and as "voluntaryist", as Jefferson. Of course, two Virginians are the most relished (At least to me). Throw in Robert E. Lee, and you have a veritable tri-fecta. Goddamn, what happened to Virginia

 

[WarDog]

Unfortunately they were all Masons we have been hood winked about the whole thing. What am saying is this whole founding of America was an inside job can you see this?.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/

http://www.freemantv.com/

http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com...emason_sig.htm

If you don't know about Freemasonry your wasting your time to bring about political change. This whole thing we call reality is built by them yes even the founders were Masons so everything is off the table until we understand there religion of there sun god Ra. just like the Boston tea party was an inside job 1776 was an inside job.

This is a nation of dissenters who do you kill first in war?. Obama is lighting from heaven he is also called "code name "Renegade". Meaning 1 : a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another
2 : an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

Obama comes to us as the Messiah he also is taking the healthcare in the Middle of a false flag flu virus as did the Pharaoh of Egypt named Akhenaten. Folks we are following there script of destruction please watch the Freeman tv and see for yourselves. This also goes for Glen Beck look at his symbol

 

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

Unfortunately they were all Masons we have been hood winked about the whole thing. What am saying is this whole founding of America was an inside job can you see this?.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/

http://www.freemantv.com/

http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com...emason_sig.htm

If you don't know about Freemasonry your wasting your time to bring about political change. This whole thing we call reality is built by them yes even the founders were Masons so everything is off the table until we understand there religion of there sun god Ra. just like the Boston tea party was an inside job 1776 was an inside job.

This is a nation of dissenters who do you kill first in war?. Obama is lighting from heaven he is also called "code name "Renegade". Meaning 1 : a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another
2 : an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

Obama comes to us as the Messiah he also is taking the healthcare in the Middle of a false flag flu virus as did the Pharaoh of Egypt named Akhenaten. Folks we are following there script of destruction please watch the Freeman tv and see for yourselves. This also goes for Glen Beck look at his symbol

Obama cloning and the space war.

We do seem to attract everyone across the spectrum.

 

[YumYum]

Aaron Burr shot Hamilton. Why isn't his name on the list? Doesn't that count for anything with the Hamilton haters?

 

[Galileo Galilei]

Unfortunately they were all Masons we have been hood winked about the whole thing. What am saying is this whole founding of America was an inside job can you see this?.
http://vigilantcitizen.com/

http://www.freemantv.com/

http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com...emason_sig.htm

If you don't know about Freemasonry your wasting your time to bring about political change. This whole thing we call reality is built by them yes even the founders were Masons so everything is off the table until we understand there religion of there sun god Ra. just like the Boston tea party was an inside job 1776 was an inside job.

This is a nation of dissenters who do you kill first in war?. Obama is lighting from heaven he is also called "code name "Renegade". Meaning 1 : a deserter from one faith, cause, or allegiance to another
2 : an individual who rejects lawful or conventional behavior

Obama comes to us as the Messiah he also is taking the healthcare in the Middle of a false flag flu virus as did the Pharaoh of Egypt named Akhenaten. Folks we are following there script of destruction please watch the Freeman tv and see for yourselves. This also goes for Glen Beck look at his symbol

James Madison wasn't a freemason. He didn't believe in that crap.

 

[Stary Hickory]

Good Ol TJ

Man is a saint in my book, a flawed saint but a saint never the less.

 

[Galileo Galilei]

Aaron Burr shot Hamilton. Why isn't his name on the list? Doesn't that count for anything with the Hamilton haters?

Burr was not a Founding Father. His collected writings are devoid of any political thoughts whatsoever. Ever seen a Burr quote? I haven't.

At the time of Hamilton's death, he had already fallen from power anyway. And given how long the Virginia dynasty stayed in power, his future wasn't too bright. His personal popularity was on the downswing as well in 1804.

The only president who might have welcomed Hamilton into his cabinet during Hamilton's expected life was the short term of John Quincy Adams. Andrew Jackson would not have taken him either. Maybe martin van Buren would, but by 1837, Hamilton would have been 80 years old. Even when JQ Adams was president he would have been pushing 70.

Hamilton's only political accomplishment after he left Washington's cabinet (after the Whisley Rebellion) was to help Jefferson get elected in 1800.

Burr was basically scum, the Bill Clinton of the Founding Fathers.

Hmailton, while I disagree with him on several issues, was looked upon as an honest patriot by his peers.

 

[Brett]

Aaron Burr shot Hamilton. Why isn't his name on the list? Doesn't that count for anything with the Hamilton haters?

I got a book called "Fallen Father" that's about how Burr's life is completely erased from the minds of nearly everyone. It's a good read.

As for my vote; I went Patrick Henry and George Mason. Yay Anti-federalists.

 

[erowe1]

Yum Yum's argument for including Burr makes sense to me. I don't see why he shouldn't count as a founding father. And this is a poll, so the point is to get people's views, not give them what their views are supposed to be. Right? (Yeah, I know, what I just described is the opposite of how polls are usually used in the real world.) And I actually saw a Republican friend of mine say to another guy on Facebook who had accused him of liking Lincoln too much, "Hey, I'm the guy who thinks that Lincoln Day dinners should be changed to Aaron Burr day dinners." I can only assume that his reasoning was because of the service Burr did in eliminating Hamilton. But I didn't ask.

 

[Galileo Galilei]

I got a book called "Fallen Father" that's about how Burr's life is completely erased from the minds of nearly everyone. It's a good read.

As for my vote; I went Patrick Henry and George Mason. Yay Anti-federalists.

I've seen that book, is it any good? Is Gordon Wood mentioned or cited in it?

FYI

Mason is called an anti-Federalist, but he went to the Convention in favor of the Virginia Plan. He refused to sign because he did not like how the Senate was composed, not giving Virginia proportional representation, and also because the lack of a Bill-of-Rights. Of course, the Bill-of-Rights was added just before Mason's death. Mason died in 1792.

Also, in 1799, Patrick Henry shed his anti-Federalist lenaings and decided to run for federal office. But he died before the election was held.

 

[Brett]

I've seen that book, is it any good? Is Gordon Wood mentioned or cited in it?

I found it good. Gordon Wood isn't in the index, but very well may be in it. I don't recall specifics to that extent.

Mason is called an anti-Federalist, but he went to the Convention in favor of the Virginia Plan. He refused to sign because he did not like how the Senate was composed, not giving Virginia proportional representation, and also because the lack of a Bill-of-Rights. Of course, the Bill-of-Rights was added just before Mason's death. Mason died in 1792.

Odd, my public school teacher didn't tell me any of that, and I "was" George Mason in our mock Constitutional Convention. Go figure

Also, in 1799, Patrick Henry shed his anti-Federalist lenaings and decided to run for federal office. But he died before the election was held.

Another surprise, never learned that either.

Note to self: Get the book LE posted.

 

[Galileo Galilei]

I found it good. Gordon Wood isn't in the index, but very well may be in it. I don't recall specifics to that extent.



Odd, my public school teacher didn't tell me any of that, and I "was" George Mason in our mock Constitutional Convention. Go figure



Another surprise, never learned that either.

Note to self: Get the book LE posted.

I've seen the book Fallen Founder, and browsed through it. It seems the book basically claimed that Burr was not as bad as usually claimed. I think the book is just to fill a niche, there are hundreds of books on the Founding Fathers written every year, so someone was bound to write one on Burr.

Gordon Wood says in his book Revolutionary Characters, that Burr never once wrote a coherent political thought in all of his collected letters and writings.