Washington, Hamilton, Franklin, as founding fathers

All of the founding fathers of the United States were great because they acted on their values and beliefs, helping to sow the seeds of a new nation. The work of the founding fathers became instrumental for independence from the British Crown. Being willing to stand up to Britain was no small feat, making the deeds of the founding fathers even more admirable. The founding fathers will be celebrated throughout history for their contribution not just to America but to the world.

Although many men and women can be considered instrumental to founding the nation, there are seven key players that most historians identify as being the founding fathers. Those seven include George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, and Ben Franklin. All seven of the founding fathers and their contributions are important.

Therefore, it can be helpful to compare and contrast three of them—such as Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin--to better appreciate the ways their diverse talents, skills, and philosophies helped to create a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal. Not all the founding fathers became presidents, but all were leaders in their own ways by capitalizing on their strengths and areas of specialization.

Two of the founding fathers that were not presidents but who were nevertheless instrumental to creating the United States were Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. Benjamin Franklin was a polymath, someone with multiple talents in different areas. Unlike Alexander Hamilton or George Washington, both of whom fought in the Revolutionary War, Franklin was more of an intellectual and as such, wrote the important first drafts of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States.

On the other hand, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington fought side by side during the Revolutionary War. Hamilton, however, also contributed to the creation of the nation’s most important documents and political philosophies. All three of these founding fathers, Washington, Franklin, and Hamilton acted on their passionate beliefs in a strong central government. Hamilton is known most of all for his Federalist Papers, a collection of documents co-authored by John Jay and James Madison, that extolled the virtues of creating and maintaining a strong central government.

States’ rights advocates feared that a strong central government would become dangerously close to the strong central government in England, and believed that a strong central government could too easily become tyrannical. However, Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin all recognized that too much fragmentation and bickering among the states would be even worse and might doom the nation to failure (“Alexander Hamilton” 1). Although compromises were made, the federalist argument won out and the Articles of Confederation were scrapped in favor of the new Constitution of the United States.

Whereas the Articles of Confederation outlined a rough coalition or confederation of states, the Constitution provided a much firmer foundation for a national government. Only a strong central government could help the new nation remain strong during its weakest hours. Washington, Hamilton, and Franklin remained committed to the concept of and necessity for a strong central government, but also recognized the need to make compromises and form strategic alliances.

Whereas Hamilton and Franklin provided the philosophical and intellectual backbone for the Constitution of the United States, Washington emerged as the statesman. The members of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia unanimously appointed Washington as the first president by (“George Washington”). His military background helped solidify Washington’s position and appeal as the first leader of the United States. During the fledgling years of the country, Washington remained a strong leader who set a precedent for what the office of President entailed.

Unlike either Hamilton or Franklin, who were expert at general issues related to political philosophy, Washington focused on the details of administrative duty. As President of the United States, Washington helped to forge treaties and alliances with Native American groups, which would later prove critical in helping strengthen the border with what would become Canada.

Also, Washington helped to create a system of tariffs and taxes to help boost the federal government’s budget, and then later embarked on ambitious foreign policy initiatives that strengthened the United States vis-a-vis its more established countries in the Old World. For example, Washington encouraged John Jay to sign a peace treaty with Britain (“George Washington”).

Franklin had been involved in local government in Philadelphia and as an ambassador to France during the first decade after Independence, yet was never in the type of administrative or executive role that Washington was in. Hamilton strengthened American economic policy as the nation’s.