The Everything Founding Fathers Book: All you need to know about the men who shaped America

George Washington. John Adams. Benjamin Franklin. These great leaders--and many others--made innumerable contributions that laid the groundwork for our nation. But who were theyreally?

In actuality, the founding fathers were a diverse group of men and not the homogenous collection history has shaped them into. Some were puritanical but some were philanderers; some were wealthy while others were plagued with money woes.

Inside you'll discover the triumphs, failures, and little-known facts about our founding fathers, including:

• Why George Washington never lived in the White House
• What John Adams and Thomas Jefferson stole from Shakespeare's birthplace
• Why Alexander Hamilton never ran for president
• How Thomas Paine narrowly escaped execution in France
• Why Thomas Jefferson kept grizzly bears on the White House lawn

Featuring fun quizzes to test your knowledge, this book uncovers both the great accomplishments and also the very human flaws of the founding fathers and brings them to life like no dry history book can!

Meg Greene holds an MA in American history from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an MS in historic preservation from the University of Vermont. She contributed toBlack America: A State-By-State Historical Encyclopedia and Dictionary of American History, 3rd Edition. She is also a descendant of Founding Father Benjamin Harrison.

Paula M. Stathakis has a PhD in American history from the University of South Carolina. Dr. Stathakis has served on the history faculty at several colleges and universities, including Belmont Abbey College, University of South Carolina, and University of North Carolina. She has also served as editor of the online journal The Hornets' Nest, and served as a consultant for an Emmy Award–winning television documentary on immigration.