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Declaration of Independence
A document by the 13 colonies of America declaring independence from Great Britain, Written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, John Adams, and Robert R. Livingston -
John Witherspoon
Signed the Declaration of Independence, Delegate from New Jersey in the second Continental Congress, signed the Articles of Confederation, supported ratification of the Constitution -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one of our Founding Fathers, Author of Poor Richard's almanack, Inventor of lightning rod, first U.S. Postmaster General, In the 1750's he became an abolitionist, in favor to have the Parliament of Great Britain repeal the unpopular Stamp Act, Governor of Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1788 and signed the Declaration of Independence. -
John Hancock
President of the second continental congress, 1st and 3rd governor of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1st to sign the Declaration of Independence and had the biggest signature. -
Charles Carroll
Early Advocate of Independence from Great Britain, signed the Declaration of Independence, First U.S. Senator of Maryland, served as delegate to both the Continental and Confederation Congress, Wanted to abolish slavery but still had slaves. -
Benjamin Rush
Attended the continental congress, Signed the Declaration of Independence, Surgeon General for the continental army, American Enlightenment leader, Wanted to abolish slavery but still owned a slave, treasurer of the U.S. Mint, serving from 1797–1813. -
John Trumbull Sr.
served as the Continental Army's Paymaster General in the spring of 1778,Governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Revolutionary state, served as deputy-governor of the Colony of Connecticut from 1766-1769, Governor of Connecticut in 1769-1784, -
E Pluribus Unum
adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782, former U.S. motto, Meaning out of many, suggested in 1776 by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere, first used on money in 1795 -
John Peter Muhlenberg
elected to the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1784, elected Vice-President of the Council, on October 31, 1787, elected to the 1st Congress (1789–1791) as one of the at-large representatives from Pennsylvania, founder of the Democratic-Republican Societies in 1793, served in Congress as a Republican during the 3rd Congress 1793–1795 and 5th Congress 1799–1801, was the supervisor of revenue for Pennsylvania in 1801 and customs collector for Philadelphia in 1802 -
U.S. Constitution
A document that expresses the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States is governed, Drafted by the Constitutional Convention, Supplemented by the Bill of Rights and other amendments, Signed on September 17, 1787, Constitution came into use in 1789, Ratified in 1788 -
Alexander Hamilton
Signed and promoted the U.S. Constitution, chief staff aide to George Washington, Led the Federalist party, helped achieve ratification by writing 51 of the 85 installments of The Federalist Papers, Hamilton called for mobilization against France after the XYZ Affair and became commander of a new army, appointed in July 1782 to the Congress of the Confederation as a New York representative for the term beginning in November 1782, In 1784, he founded the Bank of New York -
Eminent Domain
Eminent Domain is he right of a government or its agent to expropriate private property for public use, with payment of compensation, part of the 5th amendment of the constitution "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation" -
James Madison
Drafted and signed the U.S. Constitution, 4th president of the U.S., member of the Virginia House of Delegates, member of the Continental Congress before the Constitutional Convention, became a leader in the new House of Representatives in 1789, left the Federalist Party in 1791, he and Thomas Jefferson organized the Democratic-Republican Party, Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809, led the U.S. into the War of 1812, wrote the federalist papers with Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay -
John Jay
Served as 1st chief of justice from 1789 to 1795, leader of the new federalist party, Governor New York from 1795 to 1801, worked to ratify the U.S. Constitution, Signer of the Treaty of Paris, attempted to end slavery in New York in 1777 and 1785 but failed, but a third in 1799 succeeded, President of the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1779, During and after the American Revolution Jay was a Minister to Spain, served as the second Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 1784 to 1789 -
Bill of Rights
Written by James Madison, On September 25, 1789, Congress transmitted to the state Legislatures twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution, three through twelve were adopted by the states to become the United States (U.S.) Bill of Rights, effective December 15, 1791, -
Alex de Tocqueville
French, received a mission from the July Monarchy to examine prisons and penitentiaries in America, he observed the lifestyle and government of America and published a book about it in 1835 called Democracy in America -
Laissez-faire
aka hands off, a policy or attitude of letting things take their own course, without interfering, 1 of Alex de Tocqueville's Values of western Democracy -
Egalitarianism
believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities, 1 of Alex de Tocqueville's Values of western Democracy -
Liberty
state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority ,1 of Alex de Tocqueville's Values of western Democracy -
Individualism
principle of being independent, 1 of Alex de Tocqueville's Values of western Democracy -
Populism
belief in the power of regular people, and in their right to have control over their government rather than a small group of political insiders or a wealthy elite, 1 of Alex de Tocqueville's Values of western Democracy -
In God We Trust
Current official motto of the U.S., approved by President Dwight Eisenhower on July 30, 1956, required to be on all U.S. currency, first paper currency bearing the phrase entered circulation on October 1, 1957