Founding Fathers

American  

plural noun

1. the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787.

2. (often lowercase) any group of founders.

   the town's founding fathers.

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Founding Fathers Cultural  

1. A general name for male American patriots during the Revolutionary War, especially the signers of the Declaration of Independence and those who drafted the Constitution. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington were all Founding Fathers.

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Example Sentences

We’re constantly reminded about the Founding Fathers’ hypocrisy on the matter of liberty, for example, but in a way that feeds curiosity about this American experiment of ours, not shame.

From Salon

“My doctoral thesis happens to be on one of the ideational foundations of American society, the rebbe of the Founding Fathers”—John Locke.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s an intimate portrait of Samuel Adams, who’s far too often overshadowed by better-known Founding Fathers such as Washington and Jefferson.

From The Wall Street Journal

Americans have always resisted concentrated authority, from the Founding Fathers to Teddy Roosevelt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Since the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, a two-party system emerged with the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

From MarketWatch