History guys/girls I have a question

[c3products20]

Did the founding fathers have a lot of money? I realize the original settlers worked for the Brits but did any of the founding fathers have substantial funding or did they just work really hard to build what they bought for?

[DapperDan]

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say they worked for everything they had. And worked hard too


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[Geezy Rider]

Comfortably middle class to very wealthy.

[Drycreek3189]

Some of them did, some of them did not.

[Hoggslayer]

I would say, most were probably middle class guys like most of us.

[PYBUCK]

I would bet most of them were middle to upper class.

[jck]

Here's some examples of what the founding fathers sacrificed

• CARTER BRAXTON of Virginia was a prosperous planner and trader. His ships were destroyed by the British Navy. He lost his home to pay off the debts and died in poverty.

• THOMAS LYNCH, JR. was an aristocratic rice plantation owner in South Carolina who risked his substantial fortune by signing the Declaration. His health rapidly declined and his ship was lost at sea on his way to Europe to recover. No one knows what happened to him.

• THOMAS MCKEAN of Delaware was harassed mercilessly. His family went into hiding during the war, moving multiple times. He served in Congress without pay and died in poverty.

• THOMAS NELSON, JR. of Virginia put his own home up as collateral to raise $2 million for the French allies. The struggling French government was unable to pay back the loans and Nelson’s entire estate was wiped out.

• FRANCIS HOPKINS of New Jersey and WILLIAM FLOYD of New York both had their homes confiscated and used as housing by the British.

• FRANCIS LEWIS of New York had his wife imprisoned by the British where she died. He also lost his home and everything in it.

• JUDGE RICHARD STOCKTON was taken from his bed in the middle of the night and beaten by British Soldiers, followed by jail and starvation. His home and all of his possession were destroyed, forcing him and his family to live off of charity.

• JOHN HART had to leave his dying wife’s bedside and his thirteen children ran off in various directions to flee the British. For more than a year, he lived in caves and forests. He returned home to find his wife dead, his children missing and all of his property gone. He died shortly after of physical and mental exhaustion and a broken heart.

• LEWIS MORRIS and PHILLIP LIVINGSTON died of similar circumstances to Hart’s.

Five of the 56 were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve lost their homes through looting, confiscation or burning to the ground. Seventeen lost their fortunes. Two lost sons in the military while another two sons were captured. And nine lost their lives.

[c3products20]

Here's some examples of what the founding fathers sacrificed

• CARTER BRAXTON of Virginia was a prosperous planner and trader. His ships were destroyed by the British Navy. He lost his home to pay off the debts and died in poverty.

• THOMAS LYNCH, JR. was an aristocratic rice plantation owner in South Carolina who risked his substantial fortune by signing the Declaration. His health rapidly declined and his ship was lost at sea on his way to Europe to recover. No one knows what happened to him.

• THOMAS MCKEAN of Delaware was harassed mercilessly. His family went into hiding during the war, moving multiple times. He served in Congress without pay and died in poverty.

• THOMAS NELSON, JR. of Virginia put his own home up as collateral to raise $2 million for the French allies. The struggling French government was unable to pay back the loans and Nelson’s entire estate was wiped out.

• FRANCIS HOPKINS of New Jersey and WILLIAM FLOYD of New York both had their homes confiscated and used as housing by the British.

• FRANCIS LEWIS of New York had his wife imprisoned by the British where she died. He also lost his home and everything in it.

• JUDGE RICHARD STOCKTON was taken from his bed in the middle of the night and beaten by British Soldiers, followed by jail and starvation. His home and all of his possession were destroyed, forcing him and his family to live off of charity.

• JOHN HART had to leave his dying wife’s bedside and his thirteen children ran off in various directions to flee the British. For more than a year, he lived in caves and forests. He returned home to find his wife dead, his children missing and all of his property gone. He died shortly after of physical and mental exhaustion and a broken heart.

• LEWIS MORRIS and PHILLIP LIVINGSTON died of similar circumstances to Hart’s.

Five of the 56 were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve lost their homes through looting, confiscation or burning to the ground. Seventeen lost their fortunes. Two lost sons in the military while another two sons were captured. And nine lost their lives.

I knew someone would have the answer I was looking for! Thank you! Where did that info come from? I'd like to read more about it!

[Hogmauler]

If I’m not mistaken many of the founding fathers died at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Read the book Washington, by Rob Chernow. Washington while owning as much as 8,000 acres in his 20,s struggled most of his life to make a living. What’s really remarkable is back then when he left office he and his wife were obliged to put up anyone that stopped by their home. It’s crazy but that was the neighborly thing to do back then. And it was shredding their finances. Reading another book by Chernow now entitled Hamilton.

[SabineHunter]

The Fóunding Fathers were amazing men and sacrificed all to create the best country in the world. I believe it was Divine Intervention.

[lunatic'hunter]

Our Founding fathers were geniuses, the people running our government now are idiots.

[gemini2759]

Most historians agree that Washington was the richest president we've had until Trump. Benjamin Franklin was okay and had about 70 business ventures. John Jay came from a wealthy family, but most were middle class.

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[hpdrifter]

Here's some examples of what the founding fathers sacrificed

• CARTER BRAXTON of Virginia was a prosperous planner and trader. His ships were destroyed by the British Navy. He lost his home to pay off the debts and died in poverty.

• THOMAS LYNCH, JR. was an aristocratic rice plantation owner in South Carolina who risked his substantial fortune by signing the Declaration. His health rapidly declined and his ship was lost at sea on his way to Europe to recover. No one knows what happened to him.

• THOMAS MCKEAN of Delaware was harassed mercilessly. His family went into hiding during the war, moving multiple times. He served in Congress without pay and died in poverty.

• THOMAS NELSON, JR. of Virginia put his own home up as collateral to raise $2 million for the French allies. The struggling French government was unable to pay back the loans and Nelson’s entire estate was wiped out.

• FRANCIS HOPKINS of New Jersey and WILLIAM FLOYD of New York both had their homes confiscated and used as housing by the British.

• FRANCIS LEWIS of New York had his wife imprisoned by the British where she died. He also lost his home and everything in it.

• JUDGE RICHARD STOCKTON was taken from his bed in the middle of the night and beaten by British Soldiers, followed by jail and starvation. His home and all of his possession were destroyed, forcing him and his family to live off of charity.

• JOHN HART had to leave his dying wife’s bedside and his thirteen children ran off in various directions to flee the British. For more than a year, he lived in caves and forests. He returned home to find his wife dead, his children missing and all of his property gone. He died shortly after of physical and mental exhaustion and a broken heart.

• LEWIS MORRIS and PHILLIP LIVINGSTON died of similar circumstances to Hart’s.

Five of the 56 were captured by the British and tortured. Twelve lost their homes through looting, confiscation or burning to the ground. Seventeen lost their fortunes. Two lost sons in the military while another two sons were captured. And nine lost their lives.

all of that still begs the question; did they build their own wealth, or was their wealth obtained from their position/family?

They certainly gave up/surrendered the equivalence of millions, but was it "old money" or did they build their own fortune?

[Hooverfb]

Most of them built their wealth, but had come here fairly well off. Not all, but think about it this way.... alot of them were land owners/business owners.... how many folks just own land, and not just land, but people pay people to work the land, trade, etc? Now, not all of them, but they sure weren't broke.

[ren087]

Almost all of them were filthy rich and inherited most of their money.

https://www.businessinsider.com/comparing-wealth-of-each-founding-father-2020-6

Washington had an estimated peak net worth of $594.2 million in current dollars.