America's Founding Fathers - c. 1788
Today we will talk about three men in particular, who were influential in shaping our nation into what it became in American History.
The first one is Benjamin Franklin. He was a very talented man who had a variety of jobs during his lifetime. He was a writer, scientist, statesman, and printer. He wrote Poor Richard's Almanac, which was famous for its witty sayings such as "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." He was instrumental in getting France to be on the side of the Americans during the war. He also participated in major decisions and documents of the War for Independence. He also invented the bifocal, the Franklin stove and lightning rods. But he is most remembered for his discovering electricity while flying a kite in a thunderstorm.
The next person is Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. He was responsible for sending out Lewis and Clark on their expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory shortly after its purchase. He was an architect, scientist, and inventor. He invented the dumbwaiter. If you don't know what a dumbwaiter is, look it up in a dictionary or encyclopedia! He also was the third president of our nation.
The last man is James Madison, who was our fourth president. He was presiding when the White House was burned by the British during the War of 1812. James Madison was the principal author of the Constitution and was largely responsible for the Bill of Rights. He held Scripture and Christian training in highest regard. He also worked hard to see religious freedom protected.
While we respect these men for their accomplishments, we really do not know whether they were ever true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We know that Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were deists, and they were very wise decision makers. We don't want to come to any false conclusions about their relationship with God.
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