Who do you think was the most intelligent member of The Founding Fathers?

11 comments

1. James Madison.

2. Benjamin Franklin

3. Ben Franklin. He had the wisdom required to pioneer the concept of going abroad, slamming as much middle aged French tang as possible, and then returning to invent electricity.

   ​

   From his essay, “[Advice on Choosing a Mistress](http://www.bibliomania.com/2/9/77/124/21473/1/frameset.html)”

   >The Face first grows lank and wrinkled; then the Neck; then the Breast and Arms; the lower Parts continuing to the last as plump as ever: So that covering all above with a Basket, and regarding only what is below the Girdle, it is impossible of two Women to know an old from a young one. And as in the dark all Cats are grey, the Pleasure of corporal Enjoyment with an old Woman is at least equal, and frequently superior, every Knack being by Practice capable of Improvement.

   Absolute fucking chad.

4. Jefferson, not just in politics but philosophy, agriculture, history, languages, science and more.

5. Impossible to judge. People will say Jefferson or Hamilton as easy choices. Benjamin Franklin is certainly up there.

   I’ll go a different route. John Adams as a total package. He was well read. An effective attorney. On the committee writing the declaration. Unfortunately thin skinned. Benefitted from a brilliant wife who was his partner and he wisely heeded her advice.

   And his son is regarded as the smartest president in our history. Intelligence is largely heritable.

6. John Adams and it’s not even close.

   Treaty of Paris negotiations went from the Brits wanting to create a buffer state in the Midwest and a potential embargo against the states- to the US getting land claims west to the Mississippi and friendly British trade and investment relations.

   He also got the British soldiers off all charges after the Boston Massacre.

   He was a hell of a lawyer.

7. It was an incredibly impressive generation. In addition to everyone mentioned already, George Mason, John Jay, Nathanael Greene, Gouverneur Morris, and Robert Warren deserve consideration. George Washington, who lacked formal education, showed growth and wisdom from which we still benefit.

8. Many had levels of high intelligence in certain things. I’ll go with Franklin, though.

9. Probably Jefferson, but at the same time a lot of his ideas were kind of wack and didn’t age well.

   On second thought probably Adams.

10. The Real Ben Franklin…original original OG

11. That’s hard to say, because intelligence can manifest in so many ways. But I think Benjamin Franklin was definitely near the top of the list. He was so skilled and talented in so many areas, and accomplished so much, that he had to be genius-level.

    Alexander Hamilton was also incredibly intelligent, and accomplished a great deal. Of course, after the success of the musical, people are pretty aware of his accomplishments now.

    Thomas Jefferson is a personal hero and he was, by all contemporary accounts, also probably a genius. But he was also incredibly anti-social, so many people probably aren’t aware of that, even at the time.