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Founding Fathers
Black-and-white images of seven very old-timey men, all considered Founding Fathers of the U.S. In the background, the parchment of the Declaration of Independence.

13 stories about the Founding Fathers for America's 250th birthday

Written by:
Jack Izzo
June 29, 2026 There's a certain aura about the nation's founders that has created a lot of false rumors.
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No evidence Jefferson said: 'When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty'

Written by:
Jordan Liles
March 19, 2025 Some social media users shared the quote in early 2025 to express dissatisfaction with U.S. Pres ...
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Did Ben Franklin Pen Famous 'Tell Me and I Forget' Quote?

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
Jan. 11, 2025 A number of well-known quotes are attributed to the Founding Father.
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Did Jefferson Say Government Big Enough To Give 'Everything You Want' Can Take It All Away?

Written by:
Caroline Wazer
Sept. 15, 2024 The alleged quote could be found on a bumper sticker sold on Amazon, a 4-foot banner sold on Caf ...
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Jefferson Said, 'When the People Fear the Government There Is Tyranny...'?

Written by:
Anna Rascouët-Paz
Aug. 25, 2024 Fake quotes attributed to U.S. Founding Fathers are a dime a dozen.
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10 Fact Checks About Fourth of July and Founding Fathers

Written by:
Izz Scott LaMagdeleine
July 4, 2024 In honor of the holiday, we rounded up 10 of our best fact checks about it and the Founding Fathers.
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Every US Founding Father Was a Felon?

Written by:
Jack Izzo
June 6, 2024 You have to be convicted of a crime to be called a felon.
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How Old Were the US Founding Fathers on July 4, 1776?

Written by:
Madison Dapcevich
March 26, 2024 "The constitution was basically a Reddit post," wrote one social media user commenting on the yo ...
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rebellion to tyrants is obedience to god

Who Said 'Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God'?

Written by:
David Emery
April 9, 2023 The quote has been ascribed to both Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. It's possible that n ...
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Did Benjamin Franklin Want a Turkey, Not a Bald Eagle, on USA's Great Seal?

Written by:
Alex Kasprak
Dec. 23, 2022 The bald eagle "is a bird of bad moral character," the Founding Father once wrote.
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In 1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote the future famous quote our new Constitution is now established everything seems to promise it will be durable but in this world nothing is certain except death and taxes.

Did Ben Franklin Pen the Famous 'Death and Taxes' Quote?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
July 20, 2022 The quote about nothing being certain in life other than death and taxes has recently been attac ...
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Thomas Jefferson did not say of the wall of separation between church and state that religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights.

Did Thomas Jefferson Say Religious Institutions 'Undermine All Our Civil Rights'?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
June 28, 2022 We looked into the history of a quote attributed to Jefferson on the subjects of religious insti ...
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According to memes Benjamin Franklin once said beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Did Ben Franklin Say 'Beer Is Proof that God Loves Us and Wants Us To Be Happy'?

Written by:
Jordan Liles
April 11, 2022 The passage about God, beer, and being happy has for years appeared in internet memes, on bar si ...
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Person, Human, Chair

Were the Founding Fathers Not Involved in Pledge, Anthem, 'In God We Trust'?

Written by:
Dan MacGuill
July 15, 2021 A popular meme argued that Washington, Jefferson, et al had no role in the creation of four majo ...
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Benjamin Franklin Said to 'Question Authority'?

Written by:
Kim LaCapria
May 22, 2016 We were unable to locate any evidence that Benjamin Franklin ever said it was the first responsi ...
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michelle obama

Did Michelle Obama Say Founding Fathers Weren't 'Born in America'?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
July 19, 2014 The first lady spoke on the subject of immigration reform at a swearing-in ceremony for new U.S. ...
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Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation?

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Nov. 19, 2012 George Washington was the first United States president to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation.
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Barack Obama's Columbia University Thesis

Written by:
David Mikkelson
Oct. 25, 2009 Did Barack Obama's thesis for Columbia University, entitled 'Aristocracy Reborn,' note that Amer ...
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John Hancock on His Declaration of Independence Signature

Written by:
David Mikkelson
July 29, 2001 Did John Hancock say this when he signed the Declaration of Independence?
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