# Who's your favourite Founding Father?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [February 16, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721 "2006-02-16T00:23:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/1 "2006-02-16T00:23:27Z")
Sure I was thinking Jefferson. Who wouldn’t? Wrote th Consititiuion. Defended the seperation of church and state. Was DAMN good looking.
But honestly, I think I have to go with Franklin. Self made man (the quintisential American, good role model). Our laision to Europe. Scientist. Practicalist. And from what I’ve heard, horny bastasd. What’s not to like?
Who do you like?
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### Author:  [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/2 "2006-02-16T00:27:41Z")
Alexander Hamilton. For being hot despite that damned powder wig.
I actually came across this question on another message board once-the A.H. votes were high for the same reason.
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/3 "2006-02-16T00:28:48Z")
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.
My fave is James Madison, the creator of the complex system of checks and balances that gives our federal government its style, verve, ridiculous bureacracy, and panache. Also, he was a raging hypochondriac.
P.S. What kind of un-American commie bastard spells favorite with a “u”?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/4 "2006-02-16T00:34:06Z")
Jefferson, hands down. Although I do have a bit of a fascination with [Button Gwinnett.](http://www.buttongwinnett.com/)
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/5 "2006-02-16T00:43:27Z")
John Adams.
more the William Daniels version than the real thing, but still.
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### Author:  [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/6 "2006-02-16T00:43:46Z")
That slut, Franklin.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/7 "2006-02-16T00:47:57Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.
:smack: That’s what I meant of course. But I do stand by the rest of it…I love redheads.
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### Author:  [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/8 "2006-02-16T00:52:16Z")
> [@Kyla](#):
>
> P.S. What kind of un-American commie bastard spells favorite with a “u”?
Does that make me a commie???
Oh dear. Terriblely sorry. Can I offer you a cup of tea?
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### Author:  [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/9 "2006-02-16T00:53:28Z")
[`John A. Macdonald](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._Macdonald) .
What? 🙂
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### Author:  [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/10 "2006-02-16T00:57:14Z")
Thomas Paine.
> [@](#):
>
> If the colony continue encreasing, it will become necessary to augment the number of representatives, and that the interest of every part of the colony may be attended to, it will be found best to divide the whole into convenient parts, each part sending its proper number: and that the ELECTED might never form to themselves an interest separate from the ELECTORS, prudence will point out the propriety of having elections often: because as the ELECTED might by that means return and mix again with the general body of the ELECTORS in a few months, their fidelity to the public will be secured by the prudent reflection of not making a rod for themselves. And as this frequent interchange will establish a common interest with every part of the community, they will mutually and naturally support each other, and on this, (not on the unmeaning name of king,) depends the STRENGTH OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE HAPPINESS OF THE GOVERNED.
He may not have signed the Constitution, but he damn sure had a major influence on its creation.
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### Author:  [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/11 "2006-02-16T01:25:05Z")
I know way, way too much about Alexander Hamilton.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/12 "2006-02-16T01:47:38Z")
Franklin, Adams and Jefferson are the big three to me. I place them in that order.
I give a special place though for [Caesar Rodney](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesar_Rodney) of Delaware whose famous ride through the night was the swing vote for the Declaration.
> [@ushistory.org](#):
>
> Like Paul Revere, [Caesar Rodney](http://www.ushistory.org/march/bio/rodney.htm) is famous for a midnight ride. Rodney’s ride ended up at the doorstep of Independence Hall where he cast the decisive Delaware vote for Independence. On June 30, a motion for Independence had been put forward with nine colonies voting for independence, two voting against, New York abstaining while the Delaware delegates had split their vote. Delaware delegate Thomas McKean was in favor of independence, while George Read voted against. Rodney, also a delegate form Delaware was absent during this vote. While there was technically enough support to carry the motion, the Continental Congress didn’t want to go forward and declare independence without unanimous support.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/13 "2006-02-16T02:18:48Z")
Another Jeffersonian checking in. Hell, the man invented the swivel chair!
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### Author:  [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/14 "2006-02-16T02:34:42Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#):
>
> Alexander Hamilton. For being hot despite that damned powder wig.
See, I’m so torn. He’s my favorite stand-alone founding father, but I really, really like the whole Adams clan (up to and including Charles Francis and Henry, but less Brooks, because he’s less interesting), so I kinda want to cast my vote for John Adams.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/15 "2006-02-16T02:45:58Z")
I think John Marshall should count.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/16 "2006-02-16T02:52:10Z")
I’m with the OP, although I think Jefferson has a slight lead over Franklin in my book.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/17 "2006-02-16T03:13:23Z")
Alexander Hamilton. He knew his 18th century economics.
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### Author:  [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/18 "2006-02-16T03:23:32Z")
Hamilton is always a favorite, but I’m also big on Gouverneur Morris, in no small part because his name is Gouverneur. Plus he stuck it out through the Reign of Terror, and upon his return to the US he was a player in the Erie Canal development (I’m a huge NY state history geek).
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### Author:  [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/19 "2006-02-16T03:30:32Z")
What **Anu-la1979** said.
My husband looks just like him, too!
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### Author:  [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2006, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-your-favourite-founding-father/344721/20 "2006-02-16T04:06:07Z")
Benjamin Franklin, statesman and inventor of many things, not the least of which was the flexible urinary catheter.
😃
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