These two Pennsylvanians book-ended the Keystone State’s history from its founding to becoming a leading figure in the new federal government. Despite their immeasureable contributions to the founding of America — William Penn as Pennsylvania and Philadelphia’s founder and Frederick Muhlenberg as the first speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives — both ended their careers in a shadow of their success.
Penn died penniless with his family fortune squandered and without the colony making him any money, and Muhlenberg voted out of office and nearly killed because of his support for the Jay Treaty. The religious freedom Penn envisioned founding Pennsylvania became an ironclad right of the new republic as Muhlenberg became the first person to sign the Bill of Rights.
William Penn
• Founder of colonial Pennsylvania
• Founder of Philadelphia
• Brokered the 1682 "Great Treaty" with Indians
• Proposed the idea of a European union of states
Frederick Muhlenberg
• Delegate to Continental Congress
• Speaker of the state Assembly
• President of the Pennsylvania ratification convention
• Congressman
• Speaker of the House of Representatives (1st and 3rd Congresses)
• First person to sign the Bill of Rights
• A portrait of Muhlenberg hangs in the U.S. Capitol
FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHERS TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Round 2
Washington Bracket
1. George Mason 88%
- John Witherspoon 12%
*
- 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!