Which American founding father contributed the most to our country?

Answer 1

I would say that there are certain people that stick out such as: Washington, Franklin, Hancock, Adams, Jefferson. But they all did their own different things for this country.

James Madison stood out the most out of all the founding fathers, he was the most involved with the constitutional congress, and was the most knowledgable.

George Washington also was a big part of the constitutional congress, he was the president.

Answer 2

George Washington, without question. First he led the army and won the victory which secured our independence. Then he resigned his commission and disbanded the army rather than use it to try to gain political power, or even the crown, for himself. Histopry records very few men with that kind of character. Then, because of that example he was trusted so much that he was elected to preside over the Constitutional Convention. As they designed the office of the presidency the other delegates all were thinking of him as the first president and they gave the office much more power than they otherwise would have because he had already proven he could be trusted with it. Of course he was elected the first president. He filled the office very well, being aware that his every act set a precedent for other presidents to follow. He charted a course by which the government could function effectively but did not threaten people's liberties. Finally, after two terms he declined reelection. This established firmly that presidents would serve only for a limited time rather than continuously being reelected for life. That again protected liberty because a president who is only in office for a limited amount of time has less chance to become a tyrant. Although others made undeniably great contributions to the founding of our republic, Washington surpasses them all. Michael Montagne

Different people might give different answers to that question and they could all be legitimate. My opinion though, would be that the single greatest contributor was George Washington. Of course he led the army and won the war. After that though, when virtually every example in history encouraged him to use his prestige and the power of the army to sieze political power, he resigned his comission and retired to his farm. That incredible example led the constitutional convention to design the office of the presidency with much more power than they would otherwise have given it. All the delegates had in mind that Washington would be the first president and they trusted him with power they would not have trusted to anybody else. When Washington became president he acted with great circumspection. He exercised the office and power of the presidency but not in such a way as to create an overweening government. His every move set a precedent and those precedents have served to guide our leaders down to the present day. Then, when again all history said he should hold on to power and stay in office for life, he again voluntarily gave it up after two terms and retired to his farm. This was also a vitally important precedent. Because of it, as Peter Jennings said in 1988, presidents leave on time. Michael Montagne

All of the founding fathers helped in both government and writing the constitution in many different ways. Each father contributed in there own way. All of the fathers should get the credit for helping the most.

Who is the most important founding father depends on who you talk to, their beliefs, and their ideological bent. Although George Washington contributed a good deal to the country, Alexander Hamilton, his headstrong (to a fault) Treasury Secretary, comes close (really close), if not, above, Washington. Hamilton was easily the most influential in the starting of the Constitutional Convention and its proceedings, remaining even as his fellow delegates left, leaving him without a vote. Despite his reservations about the Constitution he was one of the most persistent in its ratification, writing 51 of the 85 Federalist Papers, which were his doing. The Federalist Papers are, as a side note, the highest constitutional authority in the country. It was his essay, No. 78, that laid the groundwork for judicial review and the essay that John Marshall cited in Marbury v Madison (and judicial review greatly strengthened the judicial branch's power). In addition, his work as Treasury Secretary was immensely influential. He established the United States Coast Guard and the United States Customs Service - here, his clerking in St. Croix proved advantageous, as well as the United States Mint, and the National Bank (which would evolve into the Federal Reserve). These contributions are huge, moreso than it seems on paper (or, I suppose, electronic media). Because of Hamilton's treasury system, the Louisiana Purchase was possible because the United States not only had 15 million dollars to fork over to the French, they had good credit. Hamilton was obsessed with honor not just in his personal life, but among other nations as well, and this led to his belief that the US needed good credit. It was also Hamilton who served as the lawyer to Harry Croswell in the case Croswell v People, which has to do with how we try libel today - truth and intent do protect you if you are charged with libel. Lastly, as an afterthought, Hamilton's exceeding candor and honesty led him to situations that might not have been appealing. He was incapable of the flowing rhetoric that Jefferson had mastered so well, preferring to show the truth. It was this, this need to show "things as they are, not as they ought to be" (as he wrote in 1782), that led him to what he did as Treasury Secretary, and also why the average American does not remember him like the other Founders (the truth doesn't look as good as liberty when it comes to monuments). It is a paradox, because we live in the world that Alexander Hamilton envisioned.