In honor of Father's Day, let's talk about the "real" fathers, the Founding Fathers of this great nation of ours.
We talk so much about their professional accomplishments but most people no little about their personal lives. While that makes sense for a history textbook, it does not make sense for understanding these mythic figures as human beings. Family is a huge part of our lives and a major aspect of how we measure our own lives, liberty and happiness. So how do the Founding Fathers stack up as fathers? George Washington-He may be the "Father of Our Country" but Washington is the only founder to not actually be a father. While he did become a stepfather after marrying a widowed Martha Custis, Washington never had a child of his own and therefore no direct descendants. Keep that in mind in case someone tries to tell you otherwise. Some historians contemplate whether he was sterile from a fever he got in his younger years but it seems unlikely we will ever know for sure. Ben Franklin-We all know when it comes to relationships, Franklin was complicated. One of his three children, William, was conceived out of wedlock and was not officially recognized by Franklin until age 24. Then William Franklin made headlines by being a Loyalist during the Revolution, being imprisoned and Benjamin did little to try to free him. Ouch, thanks dad. William's mother is unknown to historians but his other two children were to his wife Deborah Read, Read was previously married before Franklin and had some drama on their own so perhaps they were made for each other. She also had a severe fear of the seas which is why she did not accompany Franklin when he went to France. Well, we all know how that turned out... Alexander Hamilton-Thanks to the musical, most people know that the "Founding Father without a father" had a son, Phillip was killed in a duel just like his father would be. However, the musical (for dramatic effect) conveniently leaves out the fact that Phillip was one of eight kids between Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler. We also know about the infamous Reynolds Pamphlet in which Hamilton admitted to the world his affair with Mrs. Maria Reynolds and the subsequent blackmail scheme by her husband James. In fact, the Hamiltons kept their names in the family. Their youngest was named Phil after their eldest son's murder, another child was named Angelica after Elizabeth's sister and another John Church after Angelica's husband. They even had two sons with the name Alexander in their names. Hamilton was certainly flawed but he left his family a fortune, unlike the other Founders. I guess he didn't throw away his shot.
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