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Who are considered the Founding Fathers of the United States?

The term "Founding Fathers" is used to refer to a number of American statesmen who were influential during the revolutionary period of the late 1700s. They are usually considered to be the men who drafted the U.S. Constitution, since it is the document that provides the basis of American democratic government. Though definitions vary, the authors of the Declaration of Independence are also considered Founding Fathers along with the signers of the U.S. Constitution. The Founding Fathers are listed below.

Of the fifty-six members of the Continental Congress who signed the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted on July 4, 1776, the most well-known are John Adams (1735–1826) and Samuel Adams (1722–1803) of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) of Pennsylvania, John Hancock (1737–1793) of Massachusetts, and Thomas...

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