Patriot Echoes – Honoring 250 years of patriot ideals.
- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Education Table of the Founders
| Category | Count | Percentage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Individuals | 148 | 100% | Full dataset |
| Attended University | 66 | 44.6% | Includes partial attendance and foreign institutions |
| Did Not Attend University | 82 | 55.4% | Includes self-taught, informal, and trade-based education |
| Estimated 12+ Years of Education | 58 | 39.2% | Typically includes university graduates |
| Estimated 8–11 Years | 52 | 35.1% | Often includes formal grammar school or apprenticeships |
| Estimated ≤7 Years | 38 | 25.7% | Mostly informal or self-taught individuals |
Comprehensive Table: Selected American Founders’ Education
Education Table of the Founders Key
- Schooling Status:
- Formal: Attended structured grammar schools, academies, or universities
- Informal: Tutored privately, apprenticed, or self-directed learning
- Self-taught: No formal schooling; learned through reading, experience, or correspondence
- Years of Education:
- Estimated based on biographies, letters, and historical records
- University Attendance:
- Yes: Attended or graduated from a college or university
- No: Did not attend a university
| Name | Schooling Status | Years of Education | University | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington | Informal | ~7 | No | Surveyor training, self-educated in military and leadership | |
| John Adams | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate, studied law | |
| Thomas Jefferson | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of William & Mary, classical studies | |
| Benjamin Franklin | Self-taught | ~5 | No | Left school at 10, prolific reader and writer | |
| Alexander Hamilton | Formal | ~10 | Yes | King's College (Columbia), did not graduate | |
| James Madison | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Princeton graduate, studied government and philosophy | |
| Samuel Adams | Formal | ~11 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| Patrick Henry | Informal | ~6 | No | Studied law independently | |
| John Jay | Formal | ~12 | Yes | King's College graduate | |
| Thomas Paine | Informal | ~6 | No | Grammar school, self-taught political writer | |
| Abigail Adams | Informal | ~8 | No | Tutored at home, extensive letter writing and reading | |
| James Monroe | Formal | ~10 | Yes | College of William & Mary, left early for military service | |
| John Hancock | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| George Mason | Informal | ~8 | No | Tutored privately, legal and political autodidact | |
| Gouverneur Morris | Formal | ~12 | Yes | King's College graduate | |
| Roger Sherman | Self-taught | ~6 | No | Shoemaker turned lawyer, extensive reading | |
| Martha Washington | Informal | ~6 | No | Tutored at home, estate management | |
| Phillis Wheatley | Informal | ~7 | No | Educated by owners, published poet | |
| John Witherspoon | Formal | ~14 | Yes | University of Edinburgh, president of Princeton | |
| Nathanael Greene | Informal | ~8 | No | Self-educated in military theory | --- |
| Abraham Baldwin | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Yale graduate, later founded University of Georgia | |
| Abraham Clark | Informal | ~8 | No | Self-taught surveyor and lawyer | |
| Ann Eliza Bleecker | Informal | ~6 | No | Educated at home, published poet | |
| Ann Lee | Informal | ~5 | No | Founder of Shaker movement, limited formal education | |
| Ann Page | Informal | ~6 | No | Virginia gentry, educated at home | |
| Ann Smith Franklin | Informal | ~6 | No | Printer and publisher, learned trade through family | |
| Arthur Middleton | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Educated in England, Cambridge graduate | |
| Benjamin Harrison | Formal | ~10 | No | Attended William & Mary but did not graduate | |
| Benjamin Rush | Formal | ~14 | Yes | Princeton and University of Edinburgh, physician | |
| Button Gwinnett | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, limited formal schooling | |
| Caesar Rodney | Informal | ~8 | No | Tutored privately, studied law | |
| Carter Braxton | Formal | ~10 | Yes | College of William & Mary | |
| Catharine Greene | Informal | ~6 | No | Managed estate, educated through correspondence | |
| Charles Carroll | Formal | ~14 | Yes | Educated in France and Belgium, Catholic scholar | |
| Charles Cotesworth Pinckney | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Oxford and Middle Temple, legal training | |
| Charles Pinckney | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Educated in England, legal studies | |
| Daniel Carroll | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Jesuit education in Europe | |
| Daniel Jenifer | Informal | ~8 | No | Maryland planter, limited records | |
| David Brearley | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently | |
| Deborah Sampson | Informal | ~6 | No | Disguised as a man to fight in war, self-educated | |
| Edmund Pendleton | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently, prominent Virginia jurist | |
| Edmund Randolph | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of William & Mary, legal training | |
| Edward Rutledge | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Middle Temple (London), studied law | |
| Elbridge Gerry | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| Eliza Pinckney | Informal | ~8 | No | Managed plantations, educated in botany and agriculture | |
| Elizabeth Fergusson | Informal | ~8 | No | Hosted salons, educated in literature and politics | |
| Elizabeth Hamilton | Informal | ~8 | No | Managed estate and correspondence, tutored at home | |
| Elizabeth Powel | Informal | ~8 | No | Political hostess, educated in Enlightenment thought | |
| Elizabeth Seton | Formal | ~10 | No | Catholic educator, founded first parochial school | |
| Esther Reed | Informal | ~7 | No | Organized women’s war efforts, educated in England | |
| Ethan Allen | Informal | ~6 | No | Self-educated military leader and philosopher | |
| Francis Hopkinson | Formal | ~12 | Yes | University of Pennsylvania graduate | |
| Francis Lewis | Formal | ~10 | No | Educated in Scotland, merchant background | |
| Francis Lightfoot Lee | Formal | ~10 | No | Tutored privately, Virginia planter | |
| George Clinton | Formal | ~10 | No | Studied law, military service | |
| George Clymer | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-educated in finance and politics | |
| George Read | Formal | ~10 | Yes | Studied law, attended college in Philadelphia | |
| George Ross | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently | |
| George Taylor | Informal | ~6 | No | Ironmaster, indentured servant turned legislator | |
| George Walton | Informal | ~6 | No | Orphaned, self-taught lawyer | |
| George Wythe | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of William & Mary, legal scholar and mentor to Jefferson | |
| Gunning Bedford Jr | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Princeton graduate | |
| Hannah Arnett | Informal | ~6 | No | Patriot activist, educated at home | |
| Hannah Winthrop | Informal | ~7 | No | Political writer, wife of John Winthrop | |
| Henry Knox | Informal | ~8 | No | Bookseller, self-educated in military science | |
| Horatio Gates | Informal | ~8 | No | British Army officer, military training | |
| Hugh Williamson | Formal | ~14 | Yes | University of Pennsylvania and Utrecht, physician | |
| Jacob Broom | Informal | ~8 | No | Businessman, self-educated | |
| James McHenry | Formal | ~12 | Yes | University of Edinburgh, physician | |
| James Otis | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate, legal scholar | |
| James Smith | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently | |
| James Wilson | Formal | ~12 | Yes | University of St Andrews and Edinburgh, legal training | |
| Jane Mecom | Informal | ~6 | No | Benjamin Franklin’s sister, self-educated | |
| Jared Ingersoll | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Yale and University of Edinburgh, legal training | |
| John Armstrong Jr | Informal | ~8 | No | Military officer, limited formal schooling | |
| John Blair | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of William & Mary, legal scholar | |
| John Dickinson | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Middle Temple (London), legal training | |
| John Hart | Informal | ~6 | No | Farmer and judge, limited records | |
| John Langdon | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-educated in finance and politics | |
| John Laurens | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Studied in Geneva and London, military officer | |
| John Marshall | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of William & Mary, studied law | |
| John Morton | Informal | ~8 | No | Surveyor and judge, limited formal schooling | |
| John Parker | Informal | ~6 | No | Militia leader, self-taught | |
| John Penn | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently | |
| John Rutledge | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Middle Temple (London), legal training | |
| Jonathan Dayton | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of New Jersey (Princeton), youngest signer of Constitution | |
| Joseph Hewes | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-educated | |
| Josiah Bartlett | Formal | ~10 | No | Studied medicine, no university | |
| Judith Murray | Informal | ~8 | No | Early feminist writer, educated at home | |
| Lewis Morris | Formal | ~10 | Yes | Yale graduate | |
| Lucy Knox | Informal | ~7 | No | Managed household and correspondence | |
| Lucy Stone | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Oberlin College, early women's rights advocate | |
| Luther Martin | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Princeton graduate | |
| Lyman Hall | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Yale graduate, physician | |
| Margaret Corbin | Informal | ~6 | No | Fought in war, limited education | |
| Mary Ball Washington | Informal | ~6 | No | Mother of George Washington, educated at home | |
| Mary Draper | Informal | ~6 | No | Patriot supporter, self-taught | |
| Mary Gray | Informal | ~6 | No | Limited documentation, presumed home education | |
| Mary Katherine Goddard | Informal | ~8 | No | Printer and publisher, educated through trade | |
| Matthew Thornton | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied medicine, no formal university | |
| Mercy Otis Warren | Informal | ~8 | No | Tutored by brother, prolific political writer and historian | |
| Molly Pitcher | Informal | ~6 | No | Folk heroine, limited formal education | |
| Nancy Hart | Informal | ~6 | No | Patriot spy, self-taught | |
| Nathaniel Gorham | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant and judge, limited schooling | |
| Nicholas Gilman | Formal | ~10 | No | Military service, studied law | |
| Oliver Wolcott | Formal | ~10 | Yes | Yale graduate | |
| Paul Revere | Informal | ~8 | No | Apprenticed as silversmith, self-educated in mechanics | |
| Penelope Barker | Informal | ~7 | No | Organized Edenton Tea Party, educated at home | |
| Philip Livingston | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Yale graduate | |
| Philip Schuyler | Formal | ~10 | No | Tutored privately, military and political career | |
| Pierce Butler | Formal | ~10 | No | British Army officer, educated in England | |
| Priscilla Alden | Informal | ~6 | No | Early settler, limited documentation | |
| Rachel Revere | Informal | ~7 | No | Managed household and correspondence | |
| Rebecca Motte | Informal | ~7 | No | Plantation manager, patriot supporter | |
| Richard Bassett | Formal | ~10 | No | Studied law independently | |
| Richard Dobbs Spaight | Formal | ~12 | Yes | University of Glasgow | |
| Richard Henry Lee | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Tutored in England, legal scholar | |
| Richard Stockton | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of New Jersey (Princeton), legal training | |
| Robert Morris | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-taught financier | |
| Robert Treat Paine | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate, studied theology and law | |
| Rufus King | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| Samuel Chase | Informal | ~8 | No | Studied law independently | |
| Samuel Huntington | Informal | ~8 | No | Self-taught, judge and governor | |
| Sarah Bache | Informal | ~7 | No | Daughter of Franklin, educated at home | |
| Stephen Hopkins | Informal | ~8 | No | Self-taught astronomer and jurist | |
| Susanna Boylston | Informal | ~6 | No | Mother of John Adams, educated at home | |
| Sybil Ludington | Informal | ~6 | No | Rode to alert militia, folk heroine | |
| Thomas Fitzsimons | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-educated | |
| Thomas Heyward Jr | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Middle Temple (London), legal training | |
| Thomas Lynch Jr | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Eton and Cambridge, died young | |
| Thomas McKean | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of Philadelphia, legal training | |
| Thomas Mifflin | Formal | ~12 | Yes | University of Pennsylvania | |
| Thomas Nelson Jr | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Educated in England | |
| Thomas Stone | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Studied law in London | |
| Timothy Pickering | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| William Blount | Informal | ~8 | No | Limited records, self-taught | |
| William Davy | Informal | ~6 | No | Limited documentation | |
| William Ellery | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| William Few | Informal | ~8 | No | Self-taught, military and political career | |
| William Floyd | Informal | ~8 | No | Landowner, limited formal education | |
| William Hooper | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate | |
| William Jackson | Informal | ~8 | No | Secretary of Constitutional Convention | |
| William Livingston | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Yale graduate | |
| William Paca | Formal | ~12 | Yes | College of Philadelphia | |
| William Paterson | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Princeton graduate | |
| William Samuel Johnson | Formal | ~14 | Yes | Yale and Oxford graduate | |
| William Whipple | Informal | ~8 | No | Merchant, self-educated | |
| William Williams | Formal | ~12 | Yes | Harvard graduate |
Interpretation
- University attendance was not the norm: Less than half of the Founders attended a university, and many of those who did were trained in law, theology, or medicine.
- Formal education varied widely: While 39% had 12 or more years of structured education, over a quarter had seven years or fewer.
- Self-education and apprenticeships mattered: Many influential figures—Franklin, Revere, Sherman—were largely self-taught or learned through trades.
Methodology
This table was compiled using historical biographies, university archives, letters, and scholarly databases. For lesser-known figures, estimates were based on regional schooling norms and documented apprenticeships. Women’s education was often informal or home-based, and folk heroines were included based on cultural impact and available records. Years of education are approximate and reflect time spent in structured learning environments.
To cite this data:
“Education of the Founders.” Patriot Echoes, 2025. Available at: https://patriotechoes.com/articles/education_of_the_founders/
Sources
- Founders Online (National Archives)
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- University archives (Harvard, Princeton, William & Mary, Columbia)
- “The Founding Fathers: A Very Short Introduction” by R.B. Bernstein
- “Revolutionary Mothers” by Carol Berkin
- “Benjamin Franklin: An American Life” by Walter Isaacson
- Letters and memoirs from Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, and others