who did more for the founding of this contry G.Washington or Th. Jefferson.?

Question

the reason i ask is to see what other are thinking .

Answer 1

When it comes to the ESTABLISHING of our country, there is no comparison. There is no competition. It is Washington, hands down.

Without Washington, there IS no independence. (He was not a brilliant general, but he LEARNED from mistakes, and quickly figured. ) In addition, it is ONLY because Washington was willing to preside at the Constitutional Convention that the result was taken seriously, and only because people expected him to serve as the first President --and the fact that he, very reluctantly, did so, and even a second time! -- that enabled this new form of government to be set on firm footing.

No, he is THE father of our country, and, as (And if we were ranking the importance of Americans to the making and KEEPING of our country, I would list Lincoln, as the "second father" of his country at #2.)

Only George Washington was "the indispensable man"
http://www.pbs.org/thinktank/transcript214.html
http://www.nccs.net/store/george_washington.html

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But is Jefferson perhaps #2 then? The key "political" leader? Well, I don't take anything from his many contributions --and certainly not from his wonderful writing. BUT those who listed Jefferson in this role have many of their facts wrong. (So even if you thnk the military and political are equal, it would NOT be Jefferson you would chose for the latter.)

If it's about organizing and galvanizing people politically for either the struggle for independence OR for the establishing of our form or government, it was NOT Jefferson who took the lead (as a "founder"). Rather it was JOHN ADAMS. He was THE leader for the cause of independence in the Second Continental Congress, rallying reluctant delegates to the cause. Jefferson himself called Adams "the Colossus of Independence". (He also served in several other capacities. In the early days he was virtually the Secretary of War [though no such formal office existed].... for that matter is was he who succeeded in getting Washington's appointment as head of the army.) Further, even before independence was declared, Adams convinced the various colonies/states to write constitutions (he wrote the first one for Massachusetts) -- this, as well as Adams' later writings, played a key role in the shaping of our constitutional forms.

On the other hand, Jefferson served only briefly in Congress, and had a rather small role there. Though he was asked to draft the Declaration (a wise choice, given his writing skills), it was Adams who gained the SUPPORT and VOTES for actually declaring independence. For that matter, the formal document itself was not considered all that important till some years later -- it was NOT the key. (Note also that a major reason Jefferson was asked to head this committee and draft the document was that he was from Virginia and it was important that a Southern state be seen to take a leading role to gain the support of others in the South who were more hesitant on the question [many of the Loyalists were in the South].)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_adams#Continental_Congress
http://johnadamsweb.com/

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If we acknowledge that the next most important thing was the successful establishing of a viable national government, the third most important "founding father", would arguably be James Madison, the "father of the Constitution".

Madison was critical in fashioning the compromises that resulted in the Constitution, as well as in drafting and shepherding the "Bill of Rights" through the first Congress (and even for convincing Washington to advocate the passage of such amendments in his inaugural address).. The latter is important, not simply for its own, (And it is widely understood that Madison was THE great floor manager responsible for the many successes of that first congress.)

As for Jefferson, he actually OPPOSED the making of the new Constitution. (He was minister to France when the Convention took place and played no role in the push for the convention, in the document, nor in the fight for ratification.)

Again, Jefferson may have played an important political role LATER in the 1790s and early 1800s --but that's not precisely a FOUNDING role. (One of the reasons I might give him a "tie" with Madison is because of the importance of HIS influence on Madison -- he was, much of his time in Congress, a sort of "field marshall" for Jefferson, who was regarded as the leader of the emerging Republican party in the 1790s. But on the matter of the Constitution in had been Madison who took the lead)

http://www.intheagora.com/archives/2005/03/competing_const.html

One might even argue that Alexander Hamilton played a more important role than Jefferson at the start. Hamilton gained support for the Constitution via the Federalist Papers (written with Madison, and a couple by John Jay, but most of them by Hamilton), and who played a critical role as advisor to Washington and as the first Secretary of the Treasury in getting. In any case, if you're looking for 'most important founding father who never served as President', leaving out Ben Franklin, Hamilton seems to be THE choice.

So, if you want a quick list of the top four you might simply list the first four Presidents, though #3 and 4 might be reversed in order (unless you call it a tie).

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Again, Jefferson was very important in shaping the government and national politics, esp. in the early 19th century. Some might still think him the most or second most important founding father, due to this. But more likely the image stems from his WRITINGS, in which Jefferson very carefully and ably 'sold himself' -- that is, he presented a very good image of himself that many have, somewhat uncritically accepted. (In fact, Jefferson himself played no small role in magnifying the importance of the Declaration --which was not considered such a critical document until at least the 1790s when Jefferson began to form a political party.)

Answer 2

Like comparing apples and oranges. Jefferson was the theorist, Washington was the activist. Without Jefferson, the ideas that shaped the country might never have got off the ground. Without Washington's perseverance in the military area, Jefferson would not even have been a footnote in history. So both were important.

Answer 3

It depends on what you think is more important--the military and cultural steps that were required to separate this country from the British Empire, or the establishment of an independent political culture that viewed itself as separate from that Empire, and that included such ideals as freedom of religion.

Jefferson as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence was more the galvanizing ideological force behind the start of the Revolution, but Washington's military abilities and personal charisma were also necessary to hold the infant republic together.

Jefferson as the President certainly had much more of a legacy as the founder of a political party than Washington, who thought in his noblesse oblige way that politicians should be above party and faction. Washington did not leave any party or coherent ideology behind. Jefferson's political party is still with us today, or at least, 20th century politicians such as Bill Clinton would have us believe that to be true.

Answer 4

Thomas Jefferson

Answer 5

I am unsure. Washington was the General of the Continental Army. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. Washington was at the Constitutional Convention. Jefferson was in France during that time.

Answer 6

Washington actually knew that much of his behavior and way he ran the executive would become the precedent; everyone who would come after him would run it much the same way.
Jefferson did write the Constitution and climbed out of his own ideological stance on the Constitutional to purchase Louisiana.These are great deeds, but Washington's had more to do with founding the USA and Jefferson's had more to do with growing the country from a small collection of former colonies.

Answer 7

Both had an equal hand in the founding of this country but I'd say it was more Thomas Jefferson because he was the author of the Declaration of Indepencence.

Answer 8

Both were equally vital to the founding this country but in completely differeny ways.

Answer 9

The Jeffersons.Movin' on up,to the east side.....

Answer 10

doing little girl's high school homework ain't my gig.