The Blaze

Wow, this is cool.  If something doesn't work fix it yourself.  That's what Glenn Beck decided to do about the news two months ago.  He hired journalists and writers and the site is up and running. Here is the link: http://www.theblaze.com/

Thomas FitzSimons-Signer of the Constitution

Born sometime during 1741 in Ireland and dying August 26, 1811 in Phillidelphia Thomas FitzSimons, an Irish Catholic, was a delegate from the colony of Pennsylvania.  He immigrated in the mid-1750's and in 1763 he went into business with his new brother-in-law, George Meade (Grandfather of the Civil War general).

As a business man, FitzSimons began to dislike the British oppression after the Stamp Act was implemented.  In 1771 he became the leader of a political fraternity known as the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick.  FitzSimons was part of the Revolutionary War as he formed and led a company in the Pennsylvania 3rd Battalion.  His company fought in the battle for New York, protected the coast of New Jersey, and they were with Washington when Princeton was taken back from the redcoats.  After retiring from the Army, he served on a Pennsylvanian board that oversaw the Pennsylvania Navy.  FitzSimons then served as the director of the Bank of North America from its beginning, 1781, until 1803.  He attended Continental Congress in 1782.

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, he often spoke on the issues of commerce and finance and how they pertained to government.  FitzSimons viewed government as a logical extension of the relationship that existed among families, ethnic communities, and business groups.  He led the fight in Pennsylvania for the ratifying of the Constitution.  As one of the signers, Thomas FitzSimons as an Irish Immigrant brought his business and military knowlege to the table in the forming of our great nation.

Restoring Honor Rally

Today at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Glenn Beck held an event that I would really have loved to be at.  They had a rally were all of the proceeds, 5.5 million dollars, went to the Special Operations Warrior fund.  There were an estimated 300,000 people there.  I think it was really cool the way they did it.  It was not political, but there were religious leaders, prayers, and songs.  Martin Luther King Jr.'s niece, Alveda King, was in attendance as well as Sarah Palin. The message was: turn to God and turn back to America's founding principles.  What a great message for our country today.  I think Glenn Beck is really on the right track about our countries need for God.  It sounds like the event was absolutely amazing. Too bad it was so far away and held in a place were there were so many people.

George Clymer-Signer of the Constitution

George Clymer was born on March 16, 1739 in Philadelphia and he died January 23, 1813.  Clymer was orphaned shortly after his birth.  As such he was adopted by his uncle, William Coleman, who was a wealthy merchant and a friend of Benjamin Franklin.  He worked for his uncle as a clerk and he eventually made his way up to being his uncle's partner in the merchant firm.

In 1765 Clymer married Elizabeth Meredith, a member of a very prominent family.  Through his marriage George Clymer was able to met George Washington and other prominent Patriots.  In 1773 he led a committee of Pennsylvanians that forced the resignations of Parliament's appointed Tea Act enforcers.  He served as the Continental Congress' Treasurer from 1775 to 1776.  Clymer then became a representative in the Continental Congress for Pennsylvania were he served from 1776 to 1777 and from 1780 to 1782.  He remained with Robert Morris and George Walton in Philadelphia to run congressional affairs even after the British began to occupy the city.  Clymer worked with Morris in the organization of resupplying General Washington's Continental troops. 

At the Constitutional Convention, George Clymer was a soft-spoken man who agreed with the Federalists that a strong national government needed to be created.  His worked mainly on committee's that figured out military, commercial, and financial powers given to the new government.  George Clymer is not a founder that stands out for his bold speach or military service, but he served his own great purpose in the forming of our Constitution.

What about the Recession?

Has anyone noticed that there seems to be a lot more news stories about: immigration, gay-rights, and a mosque at Ground Zero than our steadily sinking ship, the economy?  To me it seems almost like America's attention has turned to social issues which portray conservatives as hateful, racist bigots and our attention has left our economic situation.  (By the way congress is still creating new laws that put our country into greater dept.)  I would think the economy would be the most pressing issue seeing as we still haven't recovered from this recession.  Does it seem like our attention is being diverted? To me it does.

Robert Morris-Signer of the Constitution

"The United States may command everything I have, except my integrity [i.e., commercial credit], and the loss of that would effectually disable me from serving them more."

Those words came from Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, the man who has become known to as the "financier of the Revolution".  Morris was born on January 31, 1734 in Liverpool, England and he died on May 8, 1806 in Philadelphia.

Robert Morris immigrated to Maryland in 1747 were he later worked in the tobacco export business.  He moved to Philadelphia and partnered with Charles Willing (and yes, Charles was willing) in a business firm that became one of America's leading importing/exporting businesses.  Because of this, Morris was quite well of in matters of money.  Robert Morris held a position on a local committee of businessmen who opposed the Stamp Act.

In the Pennsylvanian congress, Morris sat on the Committee of Correspondence and the Council of Safety, which organized the arming of the state.  He served in Continental Congress from 1775 through 1778.  In congress he served on the Secret Committee for Obtaining Munitions.  Most influentially, however, was his role on the Finance Committee were he secured much needed loans from wealthy businessmen for the cause of the United States.  Morris almost single handedly obtained provisions and supplies for the Continental Army, which was in dire need of anything they could get.  He also contributed much of his own wealth to the cause of Independence.  Robert Morris was one of two people to have signed The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution (Roger Sherman was the other).

At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Robert Morris didn't contribute much in terms of open debate in front of the congress.  In fact he only spoke once at the convention.  Instead, Morris would have discussions with some of his greatest friends: Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Gouverneur Morris.  Robert Morris is known, however, to have nominated George Washington as the President of the Convention in Philadelphia, in Benjamin Franklin's absence.  Morris, the owner of perhaps the finest three-story mansion in Philadelphia, persuaded George Washington to reside in his home during his time as President of the Congress. William Pierce wrote that, "Robert Morris is a merchant of great eminence and wealth, an able financier, and a worthy patriot.  He has an understanding equal to any public object, and possesses an energy of mind that few men can boast of."  Without Robert Morris, America would not have had the money and to secure such a supreme law as our great Constitution.

Thomas Mifflin-Signer of the Constitution

"There can be no Right to Power, except what is either founded upon, or speedily obtains the hearty Consent of the Body of the People."

The above words were written by Thomas Mifflin as a student.  Mifflin was a delegate from Pennsylvania in the Constitutional Convention.  He was born January 10, 1744 in Philadelphia; he died January 20, 1800 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Thomas Mifflin was born as a fourth generation Pennsylvania Quaker.  He graduated from the College of Philadelphia in 1760.  Mifflin apprenticed as a merchant and later started a business of imports and exports with a younger brother.  In 1768 Mifflin joined the American Philosophical Society.  He also was a delegate in Pennsylvania's colonial legislature and he was especially concerned with Parliament's taxation policies.

In 1774 he was elected to the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia.  His second term was cut short, however, when he was commissioned as the senior major in Philadelphia's Third Battalion.  Because of this he was kicked out of his Quaker church.  Mifflin went on to serve as one of Washington's aides in the Continental Army.  In 1775 he was appointed to be Quartermaster General of the Continental Army were he served for quite some time getting supplies and figuring out logistics for General Washington.  After the victories at Trenton and Princeton he was promoted as Major General.

He went back to the Continental Congress and served as its president in 1780.  When time came for the Constitutional Convention, Thomas Mifflin was prepared for his job as delegate.  From his military experience he knew that a country needed to have a strong government in order to survive.  However, at the convention he pushed for a balance between the state and federal government.  When he went back to convince his state to ratify the Constitution he was a great influence.  A man who served as a soldier and as a statesman, Thomas Mufflin was a key figure in the forming of America.  

Benjamin Franklin-Signer of the Constitution

"Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.  As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters."

These are just a few short words of wisdom from Benjamin Franklin, a man who every American should know about because of his great efforts in the creation of the United States.  (Yes, you should know more about him than the fact that he is on the hundred dollar bill.)

Benjamin Franklin was a man who was known throughout the United States and Europe as being a writer, scientist, philosopher, statesman, and newspaper publisher.  He was born on January 17, 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts and he died April 17, 1790 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Franklin was the tenth son of a soap and candle maker.  He self-taught himself in about everything he knew.  He began as a printer who started publishing the New England Courant, one of the colonies four major papers.  Franklin moved to Philadelphia, after a falling out with one of his brothers, were he served in Pennsylvania's legislature from 1736 to 1764.  During that time he began publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette and, one of the best selling publications of its time, Poor Richard's Almanac.  Through his publications he was able to become quite a philanthropist who contributed to many causes such as public education, the building of libraries, and the building of street lamps.  Franklin also contributed a great deal to the starting of the American Philosophical Society, of which many founders like Washington, Jefferson, and Adams were members. Ben Franklin served in London as an agent in representing Pennsylvania and he later represented Georgia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

At the start of the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin helped develop the Declaration of Independence as he served on the committee to draft it.  He also signed the Declaration of Independence and said to his fellow signers, "Gentlemen, we must now all hang together, or we shall most assuredly all hang separately." 

One of the most important roles Franklin played was during the war as an ambassador to France.  In France he became well respected and well liked, which gave him a lot of sway with the French government.  Because of Franklin, France committed loans, supplies, and some of their military to the Patriots efforts in the United States.  At the end of the war, Franklin was there in Paris with John Adams and John Jay to negotiate the Treaty of Paris.

At the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was the oldest and perhaps wisest member at the age of eighty-one.  He was a delegate from Pennsylvania along with seven others.  Concerning Dr. Franklin's character William Pierce classified him as "the greatest philosopher of the present age.  He is [eighty-one] years old, and possesses an activity of mind equal to a youth of twenty-five."  Franklin was instrumental in helping mash out compromises, but none of his major ideas such as: an executive board rather than a president, a single-chambered legislature, and public service without pay were implemented into the Constitution.  Concerning compromises, Franklin was most influential in dealing with the compromise on representation.  He used his prestige, humor, and diplomatic powers to soothe disputes and encourage compromise.  Relating to the Virginia/New Jersey plan compromise Franklin said, "If a property representation takes place, the small states contend their liberties will be in danger. If an equality of votes takes place, the large states say their money will be in danger. When a broad table is to be made, and the planks do not fit, the artist takes a little from both, and makes a good joint."  As a wise old statesman, among other things, Benjamin Franklin was able to contribute great wisdom and knowledge to the Constitutional Convention.  Franklin exemplified a self-made man as he rose to become one of America's greatest men.

Jonathan Dayton-Signer of the Constitution

Jonathan Dayton was born October 16, 1790 and he died October 1824 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.  As a young school boy Dayton attended Reeves School, taught by prominent educator Tapping Reeves, with Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.  He went on to attend the College of New Jersey (Princeton University today) were he left early to fight in the Revolutionary War.

Jonathan Dayton joined the 3rd New Jersey Regiment under his father at the age of fifteen.  He was involved in the fighting that took place against the British in Canada during 1776.  He was at Valley Forge the winter the Continental Army stayed there.  He also achieved the rank of captain at the age of nineteen.  At Valley Forge he was on of the officers trained by Friedrick Von Steuben.  Later on in the war he and his uncle were captured in New Jersey by Loyalists who detained them in New York all winter before releasing them.  After the war he studied law before being asked as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

New Jersey asked Jonathan Dayton's father, Elias Dayton, to be a delegate for their state, but he declined the position to his younger (27) son Jonathan Dayton.  As a delegate from New Jersey, Dayton kept a fairly low profile because of his age.  However, he contributed as being part of the group in Philadelphia who hammered out the New Jersey and Virginia plans into what we have as our congress today.  Of Dayton, William Pierce wrote, "there is an impetuosity in his temper that is injurious to him; but there is an honest rectitude about him that makes him a valuable Member of Society."  Jonathan Dayton, young as he was, was one of the great founders of our country who got together in Philadelphia and created what America has called her greatest law for over two-hundred twenty years.

Exactly Right!

William Paterson-Signer of the Constitution

William Paterson was born in Ireland on December 24, 1745 and he died September 9, 1806.  After Immigrating from Ireland, Paterson attended the College of New Jersey (Princeton University today) and he graduated in 1763.  He then went on to study law under future signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Stockton.  He ran a law practice until the Revolutionary War broke out and he became Secretary of the New Jersey Provincial Congress.  Paterson also received a commission to his states militia, but he never saw active duty.  In 1776 he became New Jersey's Attorney General.

At the Constitutional Convention, William Paterson was a huge advocate in defending states rights.  He also is known as the Father of the New Jersey Plan because of his work for equal representation.  The New Jersey Plan called for each state to have an equal amount of representatives in the legislature.  The Virginia Plan, however, contradicted this as it called for a legislature based on population alone.  Today we see the compromise of these two plans in our Constitution as a bicameral legislature with the House of Representatives (Virginia Plan) and the Senate (New Jersey Plan).  William Paterson was instrumental in getting states equal representation in at least one venue of legislature.  William Pierce said the following of William Paterson:

"[He was] one of those kind of Men whose powers break in upon you, and create wonder and astonishment. He is a man of great modesty whose looks bespeak talent of no great extent, but he is a Classic and a Lawyer, and an Orator-and of a disposition so favorable to his advancement that everyone seemed ready to exalt him with their praises."

David Brearley-Signer of the Constitution

David Brearley was one of the four delegates to the Constitutional Convention from New Jersey.  Brearley was born June 11, 1745 in Spring Grove, New Jersey and he left this earth on August 16, 1790 at Trenton.

David Brearley attended what is now Princeton University, but he never finished there.  He, however, took up the study of law and, after passing the bar exam, started a law practice near Trenton.  During the Revolutionary War he served in both the militia and the Continental Army.  In the New Jersey militia he served as the second in command in Colonel Phillip Van Cortland's regiment.  Also while serving in the New Jersey militia, Brearley and his regiment were involved in the battle for New York specifically on Manhattan Island.  (The British Regulars defeated the patriots in New York.)  Brearley was then commissioned to the Continental Army as a Lieutenant Colonel.  In 1779 New Jersey appointed him as Chief Justice, succeeding Robert Morris.

As part of the Constitutional Convention, David Brearley helped work on the judicial provisions found today.  He sought for a strong government that would recognize and protect states rights under the law, so it is no wonder he attended the Constitutional Convention.  As a delegate he helped figure out the many compromises that led to our Constitution.  David Brearley was an advocate for individual rights, very knowledgeable concerning law, and one of our great founders who orchestrated our greatest law, the Constitution.

William Livingston-Signer of the Constitution

William Livingston was born on November 30, 1723 in Albany, New York and he died July 25, 1790 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey.  He came from a family of very wealthy merchants who owned a large estate along the Hudson River.  William Livingston, however, decided to not follow in his family's footsteps. He went to Yale and earned a degree in what we would today call political science. He then went on to become a lawyer and he started his own law practice in New York City.  At about the same time he started the Independent Reflector, a newspaper which was very influential in political, state, and national subjects.  William Livingston was a charter member of the American Philosophical Society.   He retired from the legal and political scene for a while to become a gentleman farmer before being pushed back in because of the Revolutionary War.

In 1774 William Livingston went to the Continental Congress as a delegate.  Later, in 1775, he joined the New Jersey militia as a Brigadier General.  His role in the militia was mainly that of organizing and training militia members in defence.  In 1776 he became New Jersey's first elected governor.  While the Articles of Confederation were in place, William Livingston spoke against their weakness in sustaining a strong country.

It is no surprise that when the Constitutional Convention came around that William Livingston led his state as one of four delegates.  At the convention, Livingston stood strongly for the New Jersey plan which advocated a legislature where each state had equal representation (senate).  When the Great Compromise rolled into place, William Livingston gladly agreed with the formation of the Senate (for equal representation) and the House of Representatives (for representation based on population).  William Livingston was one of the many founders who were opposed to the institution of slavery, but in order to get the southern states to join the Union he and many others did not immediately abolish it.  Livingston with others made it possible in the Constitution to eventually get rid of slavery.  With the 3/5 compromise, the southern states were not able to have an extreme amount of congressmen with the help of their large slave population. Thus, slavery could eventually be changed and the southern states would not have an overriding vote on the matter.  The issue of slavery was eventually resolved, but only after the civil war.  William Livingston said this about the institution of slavery:

"I hope we shall at last, and if it so please God I hope it may be during my life time, see this cursed thing [slavery] taken out. . . . For my part, whether in a public station or a private capacity, I shall always be prompt to contribute my assistance towards effecting so desirable an event."

William Livingston is a great example of the goodness of the men who founded are country.  His experience and political knowledge were great contributions to the forming of the Constitution.

Have Gratitude Enough to Stand for Freedom

I think the main problem facing Americans today is that we haven't been grateful for our blessings and freedoms in this great country.  We have been so blessed that we don't even realize when freedom and liberty are taken away in different aspects of our lives.  My uncle has in the past year been on work trips to Morocco and India and he told me that as he saw their condition and then came back home he felt really blessed.  We talked about how even the poorest person in America has a roof over their head.  What country does the world turn to for refuge, ours, the United States of America.  As Americans we need to realize our blessings in order to notice when are liberties and rights are slowly being taken away.  George Washington wrote the following:

"I am much concern'd, that your Honour should seem to charge me with ingratitude for your generous, and my undeserving favours; for I assure you, Hon'ble Sir, nothing is a greater stranger to my Breast, or a Sin that my Soul abhors, than that black and detestable one Ingratitude."

Don't we all wish we could be like George Washington in our desire to avoid ingratitude.  American, have enough gratitude for those that have gone before to fight for what they stood for, Freedom.

Alexander Hamilton-Signer of the Constitution

"If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.  In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."  -The Federalist, by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

The lone delegate from New York, Alexander Hamilton was extremely instrumental in forming the Constitution.  Hamilton was born on January 11, 1757 on the island of Nevis in the British West Indies and he died July 12, 1804 in New York City after being shot in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Alexander Hamilton was born to unmarried parents and his mom died when he was eleven years old.  From then on he had to look our for himself.  He finally made it off the British West Indies at the age of fourteen when his employer, a merchant, recognized his intelligence and sent him to New York City for education.  While in New York and attending school he stayed for a year with William Livingston (a future Signer of the Constitution).  Hamilton never did graduate from college.  In 1775, however, he joined the militia.  By 1776 he was given a Captain's commission and he was placed in charge of an artillery group on Manhattan Island.  Because New York City was England's next target, Hamilton got to work with Henry Knox and Nathaniel Greene, two of General Washington's greatest military leaders.  He reported to Knox for quite some time.  Knox, seeing the military skill of Alexander Hamilton, suggested him as an aid to General Washington.  Through the war Hamilton served very closely with General George Washington.  Washington and Hamilton eventually had a feud from which Hamilton resigned.  Their feud was later overcome and Hamilton again worked against the British.  At the battle of Yorktown Alexander Hamilton led his own battalion against the British fortifications.  After the war he took up the study of law and in a few short months was admitted to the bar.

As a delegate at the Constitutional Convention Alexander Hamilton was instrumental.  Just previous to the Constitutional Convention Hamilton, along with James Madison, was the guiding leader of the Annapolis Convention.  In the Constitutional Convention, Hamilton did a great deal in pushing for a strong national union, one that would be able to fight of opposing countries.  Along with John Jay and James Madison, Alexander Hamilton wrote The Federalist to help persuade the states to ratify the newly formed Constitution.  William Pierce wrote the following about Alexander Hamilton:

"Colo. Hamilton requires time to think; he enquires into every part of his subject with the searching of philosophy, and when he comes forward he comes highly charged with interesting matter; there is no skimming over the surfaces of a subject with him; he must sink to the bottom to see what foundation it rests on."

Even though Hamilton may have never gotten along with one of our greatest presidents, Thomas Jefferson, he was an essential founder in the forming and convincing of the states of the greatness of our Constitution.

Roger Sherman-Signer of the Constitution

Roger Sherman was born April 19, 1721 in Newton, Massachusetts and he died on July 23, 1793 in New Haven, Connecticut.  John Adams described Sherman with these words: "an old Puritan, as honest as an angel and as firm in the cause of American Independence as Mount Atlas."

Roger Sherman was the only founder to have signed the four major documents of the Revolution: the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.  Sherman started out as an apprentice to his father, who was a cobbler.  Sherman ended up becoming a county surveyor for a while.  He received little formal education Sherman became well read in theology, mathematics, law, and politics.  Sherman self-taught himself enough in law that he was admitted to the bar.  He was a member of the Continental Congress between 1774 and 1781 as well as between 1783 and 1784.

As a delegate from Connecticut,  Roger Sherman had failing health.  He, however, contributed a great deal.  Roger Sherman originally favored strengthening the Articles of Confederation rather than forming a new law and he even drafted amendments to the Articles.  He eventually realized that a new constitution needed to be formed.  In forming the new constitution he helped draft the New Jersey plan, which basically called for an equally represented legislature.  Sherman also favored the idea of having Senators voted in by their state legislatures.  Roger Sherman was on of the greatest of our founders and instrumental in the forming of our Constitution. As William Pierce put it Roger Sherman "deserves infinite praise.  No man [had] a better heart or a clearer head."

William Samuel Johnson-Signer of the Constitution

William Samuel Johnson was a very interesting founding father.  He was born October 7, 1727 in Stratford, Connecticut and he died November 14, 1819 in the same town.  His father was an Anglican clergyman who expected his son to be the same.  Johnson, however, didn't follow in his father's footsteps, but instead went to school to study law.  He received a degree from Yale as well as honorary degree's from Harvard and Oxford.

The reason why William Johnson is such an interesting founding father is this: he remained neutral during the Revolutionary War.  Johnson had many ties to England both secular (honorary degree from Oxford) and religious.  He agreed with the Colonists concerning their many redress' for representation, but he believed justice could be obtained through political means.  In fact, he served on a colonial committee that wrote an address to the king concerning the Stamp Act in 1765.  In his neutrality he spoke against extremism from both sides.  Because of his neutrality, however, he was not well liked by fellow American colonists.  An example of this is the fact that they took his twenty year commission as an officer in Connecticut's Militia away from him.  Once King George III accepted America as an independent sovereignty Johnson was glad to join in committing his knowledge of law to help form the new nation.

He attended the Constitutional Convention as a delegate from Connecticut.  As a delegate, he gave inspiring speeches on the subject of representation that weighed heavily among other delegates.  He gave support to the Connecticut Compromise which was very similar to other ideas wanting a bi-lateral congress with a Senate and House of Representatives.  Johnson also served on the Committee of Style in forming the Constitution.  William Samuel Johnson was another great founder who, while not always agreeing with the patriots during the Revolution,  gave great wisdom in the forming of the United States Constitution.

Rufus King-Signer of the Constitution

Rufus King was born in Scarbaro, Massachusetts (which is now Scarborough, Maine) on March 24, 1755 and he died April 29, 1827 in New York City.  Rufus King was introduced to the fight for freedom in a not so possitive way.  His father agreed with the Stamp Act and so one night the Sons of Liberty came and ransacked their home.  King was only 11 years old at the time.  However, this experience did not cause him to hate the colonists.  He attended Harvard and had a law practice before his involvement in the war with England.  He became a member of the Continental forces and served under John Hancock.  After Yorktown, Rufus King was appointed as a member of Massachusetts' state legislature.  He was friends with General Henry Knox, John Jay, and Robert Livingston some of America's most important men.

As a delegate from Massachusetts at the Constitutional Convention Rufus King was the first New Englander to arrive in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  In the convention he joined with James Madison to lead the fight for a strong national union, which was non-existant with the Articles of Confederation.  After King went back to gain Massachusetts' ratification he returned to help formally organize a call for the Bill of Rights.  Without Rufus King and other founders, we would most likely not have had the great nation under the Constitution that we have been blessed with for a long time.

Nathaniel Gorham-Signer of the Constitution

Nathaniel Gorham was born on May 27, 1938 in Charlestown, Massachusetts and he died on June 11, 1796 in the same city.  Gorham started out in a respectable family, but he soon made his name as a self-made merchant.  Towards the beginning of the Revolutionary War, Nathaniel Gorham served in the Massachusetts legislature.  He served, during the war against England, on the Massachusetts War Board.  As a member of the war board he helped in the obtaining of manpower and the organization of Massachusetts' military.  He also served as the President of the Continental Congress for a short time.

As a delegate to the Constitutional Congress in Philadelphia, Gorham like fellow Federalists in Congress pushed for a strong federal government.  From his aspect as a businessmen he pushed for a strong enough national government to promote international trade and regulation on the use of paper money.  However, when Nathaniel Gorham returned to his home state, he helped gain Massachusetts' ratification to the Constitution by promising the inclusion of a Bill of Rights (as were many other delegates with their states).  Massachusetts was convinced and they voted to ratify the Constitution.  Gorham was a little bit pessimistic about the endurance of the newly formed nation, but because of his help towards the establishment of the United States our county has had the longest standing Constitution in world history.

Nicholas Gilman-Signer of the Constitution

Here is just another unknown founding father, Nicholas Gilman one of the delegates from New Hampshire.  Gilman was born on August 3, 1755 in Exeter, New Hampshire and he died on May 2, 1814 in Philadelphia.  Nicholas Gilman started out as a merchant, but that career was soon replaced with many others.  He served as adjutant of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, a regiment General Washington could always rely upon.  He then served on the staff of General Washington starting from the Continental Army's time in Valley Forge all the way up to the victory at Yorktown.  Gilman was a Federalist who later changed more for the "common man" to become a Jeffersonian Republican.

As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Nicholas Gilman was a key persuader of his state into ratification of the Constitution.  Gilman as well as John Langdon got New Hampshire to become the ninth state to ratify the Constitution with a 57-47 vote.  As a delegate at the convention, Gilman did a great job in helping form our new countries government.  He said this about the Constitution:

[I]t was done by bargain and Compromise, yet, notwithstanding its imperfections, on the adoption of it depends (in my feeble judgment) whether we shall become a respectable nation, or a people torn to pieces . . . and rendered contemptible for ages."

John Langdon-Signer of the Constitution

Here is another founder many people may not have ever heard of.  John Langdon was on of the two delegates from New Hampshire.

John Langdon was born on June 26, 1741 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and he died September 18, 1819 in the same location.  Before becoming a delegate at the Constitutional Convention, Langdon was the captain of a cargo ship, a wealthy international trader, and one of the men involved heavily in the war effort against the largest army and navy in the world.  In New Hampshire Langdon was involved in forming and organizing the New Hampshire militia.  John Langdon was a very rich man and belonged to a militia unit that was given the nickname of the "silk-stocking" unit because of how rich it's members were.  Langdon also was on the committee that oversaw the establishment of the Continental Navy and he even provided his merchant fleet for the Navy.

As a delegate from New Hampshire, along with Nicholas Gilman, John Langdon helped persuade his state to ratify the Constitution and join the United States of America.  Because of New Hampshire's ratification the Constitution became the law governing our new nation.  Because of the indebtedness of the United States the Continental Congress didn't have enough money to pay for the delegates food and lodgings for the first little while.  Thus, John Langdon gladley payed the way for himself and his fellow delegate from New Hampshire.  John Langdon was just another great founder who really cared about the Constitution and helped establish it for the greatest country in the world.

William Jackson-Signer of the Constitution

Have you ever heard of the Secretary of the Constitutional Convention, William Jackson?  I didn't hear about him until a few weeks ago.

William Jackson was born on March 9, 1759 in England and he died December 17, 1828 in Philadelphia.  In his early years he belonged to the Continental Army which he joined at around 17 years old in South Carolina.  He soon became an officer and later served as General Benjamin Lincoln's aid. 

When the Continental Congress had a job opening as secretary, William Jackson applied and got the job over Benjamin Franklin's grandson.  Alexander Hamilton had known Jackson, who was also a Federalist, and helped him get the job.  As the Secretary of the Constitutional Convention, William Jackson served under President Washington.  Jackson was gifted as an orator and a writer.  As the secretary he signed the Constitution to attest of the proceedings and signatures even though he did not act as a delegate.  William Jackson was another founder that contributed greatly to America's independence and our greatest law, the Constitution.

George Washington- Signer of the Constitution

George Washington is a man known throughout the world as the First President of the United States of America and often known as the President of the Constitutional Convention.  In his earlier life Washington was a Colonel in the British Army, a member of the Virginian House of Burgess's, a Vestryman in the Anglican Church, and then General of the Continental Army.  Washington was loved by all men who served under him in the Revolutionary War.  They had been through a lot together (example: Valley Forge) and that may have been a reason for his appointment to President of the Convention.

 As President of the Constitutional Convention he conducted the convention and gained even greater executive experience for his future position in the newly formed Republic.  The Constitutional Convention was held in the very place were Washington was given the burden of Commander of the Colonial Forces, Independence Hall, were the Declaration of Independence was also ratified in Philadelphia.  General Washington was nominated as President of the Convention by Robert Morris, John Rutlege seconded the nomination and the vote was unanimous among the delegates.  Washington soon learned as President of the Convention that, in his words, "The sentiments of the different members seem to accord more than I expected they would, as far as we have yet gone".  Yet, their was disagreement between the various plans such as the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan which eventually led to a compromise that created the greatest form of Republican government found in the world today.  Washington was instrumental as President of the Convention in helping with the compromise.  And as the First President he broke the ground and set an example of what a President of the United States should do and how he should behave (remember he could have been King).  Washington was indeed instrumental in forming the Constitution and starting our country in the right dirrection.

These are a few of Washington's words on our countries greatest law:

The power under the Constitution will always be in the people.  It is entrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own choosing; and whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their servants can, and undoubtedly will, be recalled.

Signers of the Constitution

I think most everyone knows about George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison and their roles as signers of the Constitution and their achievements but I thought I would start doing maybe a post a day about all of the signers, but mostly of the ones we don't know about.  Right now the only signers of the Constitution I have even heard of are Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, Madison, Roger Sherman, Gouverneur Morris, and Charles Pickney.  Here is a list of all those who signed the Constitution of the United States:

George Washington-President
William Jackson-Secretary

New Hampshire-  John Langdon
                              Nicholas Gilman
Massachusetts-   Nathaniel Gorham
                              Rufus King
Connecticut-          William Samuel Johnson
                             Roger Sherman
New York-           Alexander Hamilton
New Jersey-       William Livingston
                            David Brearley
                            William Paterson
                            Jonathan Dayton
Pennsylvania-     Benjamin Franklin
                            Thomas Mufflin
                           Robert Morris
                            George Clymer
                            Thomas FitzSimons
                            Jared Ingersoll
                            James Wilson
                           Gouverneur Morris
Delaware-         George Read
                          Gunning Bedford Jr.
                          John Dickinson
                         Richard Bassett
                         Jacob Broom
Maryland-       James McHenry
                         Dan of St. Thomas Jenifer
                         Daniel Carroll
Virginia-          John Blair
                        James Madison Jr.
North Carolina- William Blount
                            Richard Dobbs Spaight
                            Hu Williamson
South Carolina- J. Rutledge
                           Charles Cotesworth Pickney
                           Charles Pickney
                           Pierce Butler
Georgia-        William Few
                       Abraham Baldwin