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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2009
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 INDEPENDENCE DAY 
9

Founding Fathers That Time Forgot

And 4 others history has forgotten

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(Newser) – Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, but we only remember a few of the Founding Fathers. Mental Floss shines a light on a few of the lesser-knowns:

  • George Read: the only statesman to oppose the Declaration of Independence. Admitted to the Philadelphia Bar at age 19, Read thought Americans and Britons could work out their differences.

  • Caesar Rodney: best remembered for his all-night ride from Delaware to Pennsylvania to break a crucial tie in the Continental Congress—and for being called the “oddest-looking man in the world” by John Adams.
  • Rev. John Witherspoon: The man who coined the term “Americanism” may be forgotten, but his bloodline lives on in actress Reese Witherspoon, a direct descendant.
Read more about the forgotten founders by clicking the link below.

John Adams once said,
John Adams once said, "Caesar Rodney is the oddest-looking man in the world."   (Getty Images)
George Read was the lone holdout when the final vote was held in the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776.
George Read was the lone holdout when the final vote was held in the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776.   (Getty Images)
Robert Morris declined George Washington’s offer to be the first Secretary of the Treasury under the new Constitution.
Robert Morris declined George Washington’s offer to be the first Secretary of the Treasury under the new Constitution.   (Getty Images)
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, is the first to put his signature to the Declaration of Independence, watched by Robert Morris, John Witherspoon, and John Adams, among others.
John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, is the first to put his signature to the Declaration of Independence, watched by Robert Morris, John Witherspoon, and John Adams, among others.   (Getty Images)
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9 comments
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SPH
Jul 4, 09 5:24 PM CDT
For what its worth..The City of Madison, WI was plotted in 1835 and all its downtown streets are named after these truly heroic men..... Reply
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DJM420
Jul 4, 09 5:46 PM CDT
thats because wisconsin KICKS ASS
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Doctor_Zaius
Jul 5, 09 1:10 PM CDT
Beer, Sausage and Cheese! The 3 primary food groups!
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+2
anchower
Jul 5, 09 12:02 AM CDT
The real founding fathers were all the black slaves who built this country from scratch. Think taxation without representation is bad? Try life under the lash. The signers were nothing but a bunch of puling hypocrites. Reply
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anchower
Jul 5, 09 12:07 AM CDT
Oh, and if the British were such awful people, why did they not only abolish slavery long before the U.S., but also free American slaves--both those who fought with them and those who merely went over to their lines? The history we're taught in school is so biased as to be worthless. Reply
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