Primary
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Founding Fathers: Edmund Randolph

For Students 9th - 10th
The major focus of this site is Randolph's role in the creation of the Constitution and his views on the structure of the executive branch of government.
Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Founding Fathers: Benjamin Franklin

For Students 9th - 10th
A general biography of Benjamin Franklin.
Primary
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Founders Quotes

For Students 9th - 10th
Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood. -...
Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Grolier: Thomas Jefferson

For Students 3rd - 8th
A thorough biography of one of the founding fathers of America, Thomas Jefferson.
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Benjamin Franklin Mini Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th
"The First American", Benjamin Franklin, is the only Founding Father that signed all three major documents that founded the United States of America. Students explore the many roles he took during the founding of America.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lesson plan, students will consider "Jefferson vs. Franklin: Revolutionary Philosophers." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
Handout
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: Benjamin Franklin

For Students 9th - 10th
Although he was the old sage of the American Revolution and the Founding generation, Benjamin Franklin's considerable work in the areas of journalism, science, and invention often obscure his many contributions to the creation of the...
Handout
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: George Mason

For Students 9th - 10th
George Mason's ideas helped to shape the Founding documents of the United States, but few Americans remember him today. The words he used when writing the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution of 1776 inspired the...
Handout
Bill of Rights Institute

Bill of Rights Institute: John Witherspoon

For Students 9th - 10th
He was a father figure to America's Founders. A renowned theologian from Scotland, John Witherspoon educated many young men who became prominent leaders of the Founding generation. He went on to embrace the revolutionary cause. He signed...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Jefferson vs. Franklin: Renaissance Men

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lesson plan, young scholars will consider "Jefferson vs. Franklin: Renaissance Men." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
Handout
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Founding Fathers: George Washington: A Biography

For Students 9th - 10th
An introductory biography of George Washington.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Temple of Liberty

For Students 9th - 10th
The Library of Congress presents research materials about the building of the United States Capitol. Conceiving of themselves as inheritors, guardians, and conveyors of Western civilization, our founding fathers slowly built a Capitol...
Article
University of Chicago

The Founders' Constitution: Joseph Story: Commentaries on the Constitution

For Students 9th - 10th
This page is a series of writings by Joseph Story on the jurisdiction, both original and appellate, assigned to the Supreme Court by the Founding Fathers. Published in 1833.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: Teaching Six Big Ideas in the Constitution

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
The Constitution can be broken down into 6 main themes: Limited Government, Federalism, Republicanism, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, and Popular Sovereignty. Learners will study background on the Founding Fathers and use...
Activity
Other

Colonial Hall: Benjamin Rush (1745 1813)

For Students 9th - 10th
This non-profit site offers detailed biography of Benjamin Rush. the United States. Examines his early training, his years in Europe, his work in medicine, his role in the Revolutionary War, and his political career. Rest of site has...
Website
Other

Mr. Lincoln and the Founders

For Students 9th - 10th
Authors of this site look at Lincoln and his deep-seated passion for the ideals of the Founding Fathers.
Activity
Thomson Reuters

Find Law: Article Ii: The Creation of the Presidency

For Students 9th - 10th
A scholarly discussion of Article II of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes the executive branch of the U.S. government. Discusses the origin of the article and the debates on executive power that took place among the Founding...
Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Constitutional Principles

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Founding Fathers created a government based on a set of fundamental principles carefully designed to guarantee liberty. This lesson lets students look at the Constitution from the perspective of its foundational principles and make...
Handout
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: John Jay

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview and biographical facts on the life of John Jay, first Chief Justice of the United States and one of its Founding Fathers.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Thomas Jefferson's Library

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource showcases the holdings of Thomas Jefferson's personal library built around the themes of memory, reason, and imagination.
Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Journals of the Continental Congress

For Students 9th - 10th
These journals from the Continental Congress of the United States will provide students with a greater understanding of the foundations of American government as established in the late 18th century. Includes handwritten documents by...
Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Living the Revolution: America, 1789 1820: Politics

For Students 9th - 10th
Primary source materials from the post-Revolutionary War period in America, 1789-1820, which depict the sense of politics in a newly formed nation with a developing national identity. Includes reading guide, questions for discussion and...
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

C3 Teachers: u.s. History Module: Did Founders Want Government to Work? [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A comprehensive learning module on the system of government established by the founders that includes three supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and primary source materials, followed by a summative performance task....
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Education: Making Friends With Franklin

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Come meet Benjamin Franklin and some of his scientific friends. Learn about them through the eyes of early American portraiture. Following the introduction are three great lesson plans for teachers of language arts, science, and visual...

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