The Founders of the United States were a diverse group of leaders, thinkers, and activists from the colonial and Revolutionary eras who helped shape the nation’s independence and early government. They included not only well-known figures like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson, but also women such as Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and Phillis Wheatley, whose voices and actions influenced the struggle for liberty. Explore the stories of these remarkable individuals below to see how each contributed to the founding of a new nation.