Colonial Period

Before the United States, thirteen separate colonies settled throughout the eastern coast of North America. As separate communities with their own goals and needs, they were not created to join together. However, external forces during the 1770s pushed these colonies to form the United States of America.

The Bill of Rights: How the First Ten Amendments Came to Be

The Bill of Rights — the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution — remains one of the ...

How Pennsylvania Became the Second State to Ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 12, 1787

When delegates concluded the Constitutional Convention in September 1787, each state faced the monumental decision of whether to ...

Caesar Rodney: The Ride That Secured Independence

Caesar Rodney was born on October 7, 1728, on his family’s farm east of Dover in what was then the ...

Phillis Wheatley: America’s First African American Woman Poet Who Spoke Truth to Power

Phillis Wheatley remains a towering figure in early American literature. As the first African American woman — and among ...

Benjamin Rush: A Founding Father Devoted to Education, Public Health, and Civic Virtue

A Versatile and Influential Founder Benjamin Rush is sometimes called “the forgotten Founder,” but his influence on early ...

Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea): Mohawk Leader Who Bridged Cultures During the American Revolution

In the complex story of America’s founding, Joseph Brant—known by his Mohawk name, Thayendanegea—stands out as a leader ...

Cornplanter (Gaiänt’wakê): A Peacemaker Between Nations

When most Americans think of the nation’s founders, names like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson often ...

Crispus Attucks: The First to Fall for American Liberty

In the story of America’s founding, one man’s courage on a cold March night in Boston became a ...

America’s Founding Generation

We honor the men and women of America’s founding generation who broke barriers and shaped the early republic ...