Adam Smith:
Adam Smith was born in Scotland June 16, 1723. He is one of the most revered personalities in the history of the United States (Hanley 40). After the age of 15, he joined Glasgow University where he commenced his philosophy studies. Adam Smith later attended Oxford’s Balliol College in the 1740s. After graduating, he traveled extensively across Scotland, lecturing the public on his economic philosophy. He was a strong believer in the free market economy, which he considered as a system of natural liberty. The Wealth of Nations remains one of the Smith’s most famous works in which he explains his revolutionary economic ideas. Completed in 1776, at a time when Europe and the rest of the West supported mercantilism economic policy, The Wealth of Nations supported the free market ideology (Heilbroner 55). Adam Smith is widely considered the father of capitalism because he advocated for market forces and maintained that the government should not regulate economic activities.
George Washington:
George Washington is one of the founding fathers who played an invaluable role in the development of USA (Thayer 54). Born in 1732 in Virginia’s Westmoreland County, Washington later became the Continental Army’s commander in chief, during the Revolutionary War and the first U.S. President. During his time as a student, Washington studied surveying, mathematics, rules of civility, and the classics. He also developed excellent writing and speech skills. He was a visionary leader, and his ideas played a crucial role in shaping and building the political ideologies in the U.S. (Harrison 132).
Patrick Henry:
Born in 1936 in Virginia’s Hanover County, Patrick Henry spent most of his childhood in a Virginia tobacco plantation with his parents (Kidd 23). He went to public school; however, but is his father, John Henry, tutored him on other important subjects. He later became an accomplished lawyer. He is widely known for his speech, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, which convinced the House of Burgesses to consider war as a way of achieving independence. Furthermore, he was convinced that Great Britain was depriving Virginians of their natural rights. His speech was inspirational, motivational, and it succeeded in convincing individuals living under the British rule that the Revolutionary War was a matter of urgency. However, his achievements are not comparable to those of Adam Smith and George Washington (Tyler 99).
Alexander Hamilton:
Born in 1755 in British West Indies, Alexander Hamilton is famous for his mastery of financial issues (Chernow 65). He played an integral role is shaping the country’s early monetary decisions and laid financial foundations during the period after American Revolution. He gained great knowledge on global financial matters when he was working at Nicholas Cruger’s international financial firm. He gained useful leadership experience from Washington. Research indicates that he played a central role in the drafting and ratification of the American Constitution (Fritz 89). He co-authored Federalist Papers with John Jay and played a crucial role in drafting the Madison papers. Moreover, his influence, as the Secretary of Treasury, was immense. He argued that the national currency should replace private bank currencies and state currencies.
The Federalist Papers
Published in 1788, The Federalist Papers represent some of America’s founding political perspectives. They are important in the American history and are tantamount to the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and The Bill of Rights. The authors of the Federalist Papers include Jay John, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton (Winter 113). The texts supported the concept of state rights but advocated for a centralized government based on nationalism. They have a special place in developing the foundations for the U.S. political system. Even after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, some parts of the country continued to debate on some of the contentious issues highlighted by the Federalist Papers (McClanahan 77).
Works Cited
Chernow, Ron. Alexander Hamilton. New York: Prentice Hall, 2005. Print.
Fritz, Jean. Alexander Hamilton: the Outsider. Chicago: Rutledge, 2012. Print.
Hanley, Ryan. Adam Smith: His Life, Thought, and Legacy. Cornwall: Polity, 2016. Print.
Harrison, Nancy. Who Was George Washington? Chicago: Rutledge, 2009. Print.
Heilbroner, Robert. The Essential Adam Smith. Oxford: Oxford University, 2007. Print.
Kidd, Thomas. Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots. Oxford: Oxford University, 2011. Print.
McClanahan, Brion. The Founding Fathers Guide to the Constitution. New York: Prentice Hall, 2012. Print.
Thayer, William. George Washington. New Jersey: Pearson, 2012. Print.
Tyler, Moses. Patrick Henry. New York: Prentice Hall, 2011. Print.
Winter, Jonah. The Founding Fathers!: Those Horse-Ridin', Fiddle-Playin', Book-Readin', Gun- Totin' Gentlemen Who Started America. Berkeley: University of California, 2015. Print.
