Combined, George Mason of Virginia’s and John Witherspoon of New Jersey’s careers and service built the new American government.
Mason’s influence helped push the adoption of a Bill of Rights after he refused to sign the new Constitution. Witherspoon’s prestige and words helped push the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Both men served on their state ratification committees for the new Constitution, and both are remembered today with monuments in Washington, D.C.
George Mason
• Member of Virginia House of Burgesses
• Delegate to Virginia Constitutional Convention
• Author of Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Delegate to Constitutional Convention
• Delegate to Virginia ratification convention
• George Mason University and three states’ Mason Counties is named in his honor
• George Mason Memorial is in Washington, D.C.
John Witherspoon
• President of College of New Jersey (Princeton University)
• Delegate to Continental Congress
• Signer of the Declaration of Independence
• Delegate to the New Jersey ratification convention
• Statue of Witherspoon erected in Washington, D.C.
FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHERS TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Round 2
Washington Bracket
- George Mason
- John Witherspoon
*
- Frederick Muhlenberg
- William Penn
Jefferson Bracket
- Nathanael Greene
- Edmund Randolph
*
- John Carroll
- Richard Henry Lee
Madison Bracket
- Roger Williams
- Isaac Shelby
*
- Henry Knox
- Roger Sherman
Franklin Bracket
- John Jay
- John Dickinson
*
- John Paul Jones
- Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben
FFFs and match-ups are determined by my interpretation of who I believe were the 32 greatest FFFs. Personal politics, favoritism and reader response was NOT a factor in selection or seeding. As for the tournament itself: each match-up will be conducted every 24 hours with a synopsis written by yours truly and readers can determine using the poll function who the winner should be for that match-up; there is no #1 overall seed; FFFs retain their seeds throughout; the winner of the Washington bracket will face the winner of the Jefferson bracket, and the winner of the Madison bracket will face the winner of the Franklin bracket; after having the first tie, I've decided the higher seed will win ties. I am not voting nor will I pick sides in discussion. I wish I could somehow do a more rigid time duration period for each round but there’s no guarantee I’ll be on a computer or awake at that time so I’m gonna say polling lasts until I post the next match-up, or roughly 24 hours later. Readers may choose whichever FFF contestant they wish, but the point of the tournament is to select the greatest Forgotten Founding Father — the most influential, most important, most impactful, who contributed the most to the Revolution and/or seeds of American liberty. Please read the original diaries in addition to the information provided above so you have all the information before voting. Have fun!