The Founders: Signers of the Declaration of Independence
We are very excited that you are interested in our Founders course! It is our goal that by completing the work in this course, students will have a strong working knowledge of the thoughts and ideas that our country was founded on. There are many exciting things to learn from the founders, both from their personal and political lives, and it is fascinating to see the differences in opinion they had, from the strong federalism of Alexander Hamilton to the equally strong Anti-Federalism of Thomas Jefferson. By immersing themselves in the thoughts and writings of these men, students will gain a greater understanding of the ideas that drove the founding of our country. Since they are reading unedited primary source material, students will be able to use their critical thinking skills and apply them to the information in front of them, rather than having answers spoon fed to them from a textbook.
This course is designed to be part of a student’s high school government credit(s). This course consists of ten lessons, with each lesson focusing on a different founder. Every lesson contains a biography, selected works of the founder, and a quiz.
Taking the Course
To start the course, simply click on the chapter you wish to read. If you do not wish to read the chapter online, you may print out a copy for yourself. See the syllabus for a suggested schedule of readings.
Once you have completed a chapter, review the material so you confidently grasp the main concepts, persons, events, and dates. Then click on the corresponding quiz to take that chapter's quiz. Remember, you can only take each quiz once.