Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, but eight created our nation. If George Washington doesn’t win the battles, Ben Franklin doesn’t negotiate with states to agree to the breakaway, John Jay doesn’t influence the public and Alexander Hamilton can’t find a way to finance it, the United States would have never survived. 

We’ll examine the eight men - George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Sam Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and Ben Franklin - who defined a revolution and then found it even harder to govern. How they worked together to win the war, pass the Constitution and govern the new republic are detailed. Through photos and paintings, we see the men come alive as very real leaders, negotiators and influencers during the lecture to understand who really founded our country. 

Slavery and Native American issues will be discussed. Four founding fathers owned slaves while several implemented harmful Native American policies as part of the nation's western expansion.
 
Students can ask questions throughout class or even beforehand to ensure their learning goals are met. And, we'll review near the end to ensure everyone understands key points.