Both of these Founding Fathers were declarers of independence: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed the resolution in Continental Congress for American independence from Great Britain, and John Carroll of Maryland petitioning the Vatican for an independent American Catholic diocese.
Both also contributed to the Revolution early, Lee serving as a member of Continental Congress and Carroll as part of a party to recruit French Canadians. Lee laid the cornerstone for America’s independence and laid the cornerstone for the first Catholic cathedral in America.
Richard Henry Lee
• State politician
• Introduced bill to form Virginia committee of correspondence
• Delegate to Continental Congress
• Proposed resolution of independence from Great Britain
• President of Continental Congress
• Delegate to Virginia ratification convention
• U.S. senator
John Carroll
• Wrote the first published work by a Catholic in America
• First Catholic bishop in America (Bishop of Baltimore)
• Founder of Georgetown University, Mount St. Mary’s College and Loyola
• First Catholic archbishop in America
• Laid the cornerstone for the first Catholic cathedral in America
• John Carroll University is named in his honor
FORGOTTEN FOUNDING FATHERS TOURNAMENT BRACKET
Round 2
Washington Bracket
1. George Mason 88%
- John Witherspoon 12%
*
- Frederick Muhlenberg 38%
2. William Penn 62%
Jefferson Bracket
1. Nathanael Greene 75%
- Edmund Randolph 25%
*
- 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!