Stories, history, and reflections from a nation 250 years in the making
The statesmen, patriots, and visionaries who declared independence, won a revolution, and framed a nation built to last.
There's no single official list — "Founding Fathers" is a term of recognition, not a fixed roster. The most commonly cited core group (per historian Richard B. Morris) is the seven principal figures.
Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, Thomas Paine, Roger Sherman, Gouverneur Morris, George Mason, Robert Morris, and Richard Henry Lee.
All fifty-six delegates who signed the Declaration — organized by the thirteen colonies they represented — are listed in their own article. A few names bridge both rosters: Franklin, Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Hancock, Sherman, and Robert Morris are counted as Founding Fathers and signers.