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Jan 1, 1391
Moses
Moses was born in 1391 BC. Some of the Founding Fathers compared the colonists standing up to a superpower to Moses leading the Israelites through the Red Sea as the water overwhelms the Pharoah. Moses revealed the Ten Commandments and provided order and the idea that freedom depends on law. -
John Locke
Locke was an English philosopher. He wrote Two Treatises of Government. Locke rejected the idea of the divine right of kings and supported natural rights (especially of property), and limited constitutional government. He died in 1704. His ideas influenced the Founding Fathers and were incorporated into the creation of the United States government. -
Charles de Montesquieu
Charles de Montesquieu was one of the great political philosophers of the Enlightenment. He theorized that having a separation of powers in government was the best way to keep a government from gaining to much power. His ideas influenced the Founding Fathers. He died in 1755. -
William Blackstone
William Blackstone was a judge in England. He wrote Commentaries on the Laws of England which made English law readable. He supported the idea of natural rights and died in 1780. His ideas influenced revolution and changed how people viewed the role of government. -
James Wilson
James Wilson signed both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. He believed in a strong national government and an open and democratic political system. He was one of the original judges appointed to the US Supreme Court by George Washington. He died in 1798. -
John Marshall
John Marshall is considered, by many historians, to be the most influential Cheif Justice of the US Supreme Court. He was the main founder of constitutional law in the United States. He argued the Marbury v Madison case in 1803. This case established the right of the court to use judicial review and declare laws unconstitutional. He died in 1835. -
John Jay
Jay was a member of the First Continental Congress. He supported a centralized and balanced system of government. He also wrote the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. -
Thomas Jefferson-President 1801-1809
Wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights. From June 11-28, 1776 drafted the Declaration of Independence at age 33. Jefferson was the third president of the United States. -
George Mason
Mason attended the Constitutional Convention, but refused to sign the Constitution because it did not contain a Bill of Rights. -
Roger Sherman
Sherman was on the committees to draft the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence. He also helped draft the New Jersey Plan and the Connecticut or Great Compromise. This plan created equal representation for the large and small states. -
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He wrote the Federalist papers with John Jay and James Madison.He felt the Constitution was lacking and needed a Bill of Rights. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury. -
John Adams-President 1787-1801
John Adams was a member of the Continental Congress. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but Adams was the greatest supporter of the Declaration. He was the second president and served from 1787-1801. Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. -
James Madison-President 1809-1817
Madison ensured the passage of the Bill of Rights. He wrote the Federalist papers with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. He was the fourth president of the United States. -
George Washington-President 1789-1797
Washington was the first president of the United States and served two terms as president. When he left office he warned of the dangers of partisanship, sectionalism, and involvement in foreign wars. He refused to serve a third term as president and did not allow the title of King, but insisted upon the term President. -
Andrew Jackson-President 1829-1837
Andrew Jackson supported the rights of the states and a limited federal government. He supported the common man. He reforned the National Bank of the United States. and relocated Indians to the West. He was the seventh president of the United States. -
Abraham Lincoln-President 1861-1865
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. He led the country through the Civil War and preserved the Union and ended slavery. He promoted economic modernization and issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and also delivered the Gettysburg Address. Many historians consider him the best president the United States has had. He was the first Republican president and was assassinated on April 14, 1865. -
Theodore Roosevelt-President 1901-1909
Roosevelt was known for trust-busting and conservation. He created the Square Deal which promised to give average citizens a fair share. Roosevelt was a Republican, but later ran as a Progressive. His party was referred to as the Bull Moose party. -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt-President 1933-1945
FDR passed the New Deal which was intended to provide relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression. He created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or FDIC and passed the Social Security Act. Served as president during the Depression and World War II. Supported fair labor standards and minimum wage. Known for his Infamy speech given (December 7, 1941) when the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Member of the Big Three with Churchill and Stalin. -
Ronald Reagan-President 1981-1989
Ronald Reagan was a Democrat, but later switched to the Republican party. He believed in small government, individual freedom, and low taxes. He led the modern conservative movement. He was a former actor and governor of California. He was key in ending the Cold War. He died of complications due to Alzheimer's disease.
