John Jay

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https://declaration.fas.harvard.edu/faq/founding-fathers-not-signers May 19, 2026 "George Washington, John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison are typically counted as "Founding Fathers", but none of them signed the Declaration of Independence. General George Washington was Commander of the Continental Army, and was defending New York City in July 1776. As instructed by John Hancock, Washington read the Declaration of Independence to the army on July 9th. John Jay was a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1775-1776 (and would later become its President), but was recalled by his home state in May. He was initially more moderate, a supporter of reconciliation rather than rebellion, but his views became progressively more radical over the course of the American Revolution." Declaration Resources Project

Through this website, you can read and search through thousands of records from George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison and see firsthand the growth of democracy and the birth of the Republic.

https://founders.archives.gov CORRESPONDENCE AND OTHER WRITINGS OF SEVEN MAJOR SHAPERS OF THE UNITED STATES
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams (and family), Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. Over 185,000 searchable documents, fully annotated, from the authoritative Founding Fathers Papers projects.

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