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Who's Who?

Who wrote what during this period of time?

Writers of the Revolutionary era—the years just before and just after the establishment of the United States as an independent nation—included a large number of the country's "founding fathers." These men used writing as a weapon and a persuasive tool, inspiring others to act in ways that would require great courage and resolve.

Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and John Adams, 1776Phillis Wheatley

After the war, writers like Benjamin Franklin and Phillis Wheatley turned their pens to another task: forging an American identity. Their words were equally powerful and rhetorical, but the goal was to describe and celebrate the American spirit.

See if you can connect these Revolutionary writers to their works and achievements.

Thomas Jefferson

Patrick Henry

Benjamin Franklin

Phillis Wheatley

drafted the Declaration of Independence and wrote letters identifying what made America exceptional

wrote the famous "liberty or death" speech that persuaded the Virginia Assembly to join the war effort

edited the Declaration of Independence and wrote an autobiography that helped define the American Dream

wrote poetry that celebrated America's freedom and independence from England while living as an enslaved person


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