Overview

Inauguration Day 2009 (January 20th) will mark a monumental day in our nation's history. This blog will attempt to celebrate the moment by offering brief reviews of our Founding Fathers (recognized here as the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia).

As I embark on this endeavor, I am a bit embarrassed at how little I know of these influential individuals. Pardon my frankness, but until recently I allowed myself to believe that our founders were mostly secular, racist elitists. However, I've begun to challenge these beliefs after listening to a podcast titled "America's Christian Heritage" by David Barton.

My goal for this blog is narrow - to simply find evidence that contradicts my simplistic, negative image of our Founding Fathers. With the data collected, I will classify these delegates individually as follows, thus allowing myself to make a more informed classification of the entire group:
1) Religiously Active or Primarily Secular
2) Abolitionist (anti-slavery), Partial Abolitionist, or Non-Abolitionist (pro slavery)
3) Wealthy or Middle-Class/Poor

Notes / Disclaimers:
1) The phrase "separation of church and state" is not found in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. It first appeared in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson in 1802.
2) I acknowledge that an individual may be passionately religious yet desire a government that is free from religious influence. I will not concede that such an individual's ideals for government are not shaped in some manner by his/her spiritual beliefs.