When Americans celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States throughout 2026, names like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams are sure to come up. While those men played major roles in the nation’s founding, many other Founding Fathers also made significant contributions. America’s semiquincentennial is an ideal time to recognize all who helped shape the country, including some lesser-known founders whose influence has faded over the past 250 years.
• William Livingston: Born in Albany, New York, in 1723, William Livingston was a prominent attorney before the American Revolutionary War. After moving to Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in 1772, he became New Jersey’s representative to the Continental Congress. In 1776, he was appointed brigadier general of the New Jersey militia and, a year later, became governor of New Jersey, a position he held until he died in 1790. Despite being targeted by British forces, Livingston remained a steadfast supporter of independence and later served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, signing the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
• William Hooper: Born in Boston in 1742, William Hooper established himself as a successful attorney in Wilmington, North Carolina. Appointed Deputy Attorney General of the colony in 1770, he initially supported British authority but later became a strong advocate for independence. Hooper served as a North Carolina delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774 and earned the nickname “Prophet of Independence” after predicting the colonies would break from Britain. A signer of the Declaration of Independence, Hooper also contributed much of his legal earnings to the Revolutionary cause. His support for independence made him a target of British forces, who burned his home in 1781.
• John Witherspoon: Born in Scotland in 1723, John Witherspoon immigrated to America in 1768 to become president of the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University. He is the only active clergyman and college president to sign the Declaration of Independence. Witherspoon later signed the Articles of Confederation and supported ratification of the Constitution. During his tenure, the college educated many influential figures, including James Madison and Aaron Burr. A strong supporter of independence, Witherspoon often spoke against British interference in colonial affairs.
• Roger Sherman: Born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721, Roger Sherman worked in several professions before studying law and eventually becoming a judge of Connecticut’s Superior Court. Though initially cautious about colonial resistance, he later embraced the independence movement and served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. Sherman helped draft the Declaration of Independence and contributed to the Articles of Confederation. He remains the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution.
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