Where Are They Now: The Founding Fathers
In honor of America’s birthday, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at the men and women (pretty much just men, it was a different time) who made it all possible! We’ll go through the top dogs and see where they’re at now!
Thomas Jefferson: Everyone knows that Jefferson was our nation’s third president, but not everyone knows what he did after finishing up his term. For a while, TJ really lived up retirement. It suited him, and he took full advantage. That is until 2005, when YouTube first launched. Jefferson quickly took advantage of the platform and curated a pretty solid following in the Crossfit community. Viewers loved seeing a former president get ripped, and boy did he know how to entertain. In 2015, Thomas took a break after allegations surfaced of his less than cordial behavior towards young fans. He made a bit of a resurgence in 2020 with a smaller crowd, and continues to curate content for them today.
Alexander Hamilton: After finishing his term as Secretary of Treasury, Hamilton didn’t rest before his next project. A long time in the works, In The Heights, his original musical, finally hit broadway. It was a mild success, but opened the door for him to finally write his magnum opus, Hamilton. This autobiographical musical took over the world and became one of the most successful and recognizable works in the last 50 years. Since Hamilton, Hamilton has stayed busy, writing and composing all over the place. Some of his most popular works include Moana, Encanto, and The Little Mermaid. Hamilton also put his directing hat on in the recent film Tick, Tick, Boom which follows the story of Jonathan Larson, creator of Rent. We can’t wait to see what he does next!
John Adams: John Adams took a bit of a different route after helping found the United States of America. While some of his colleagues tried to ride the fame they created for themselves, John decided on a more quiet life of service. Shortly after finishing his stint as President, Adams moved to Kansas City and became a high school guidance counselor at Blue Valley North High School. He has been able to use his connections to get his students into some of the best institutions in America. John is also the assistant coach of the girls JV basketball team. They’ve had some success, and the girls seem to like him enough. John’s greatest contribution, however, might just be his blood. With an O- blood type, John is what we in the blood community call a “universal donor”. His blood can be used for anyone, and he doesn’t take that lightly. John can be found at Lafayette Regional Health Center every Saturday morning.
George Washington: Dead.
Samuel Adams: Of all the Founding Fathers, Samuel Adams is the one with the most name recognition in his day to day. As the founder of a famous beer brand, Sam Adams has made the most of his name and likeness. One look at this beer, and you know exactly what you’re drinking and who it’s from. Sam has been brewing this for years, and has even expanded to different flavors and varieties. He’s even experimented with seltzer, although his core beer products are what really keep him at the top. As a long-time brewer, he’s also faced his share of controversies, but says it’s all part of the gig. Thank you for creating Bud Light Mr. Adams. We salute you.
Kenny Chesney: After putting his John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence, Kenny Chesney did a ton of odd jobs while trying to find his true passion. He felt an emptiness and did anything he could to fill it. His parents could see that he was struggling, and gifted him a guitar for Christmas. This was the spark Kenny needed, and he immediately started writing and performing songs. The act caught on, and Kenny quickly rose through the ranks of the country charts. He now spends his summers traveling across the United States performing in sold out arenas. His fellow Founding Fathers are often seen dancing along at his shows.
Benjamin Franklin: Not every Founding Father had a positive experience after their work was done building our country. The saddest of all has to be Benjamin Franklin. Not many people know this, but Benjamin Franklin is stuck in a conservatorship controlled by his father, James Franklin (not the Penn State Football head coach). Reports indicate that his father is abusive, and takes most of the money that Ben makes for himself. Many believe that Ben has the capacity to act on his own, and the conservatorship is detrimental to his well-being. We hope that bringing light to this situation will result in action. No one should have to live this way.
Happy 4th! Go to the beach, sing some country music, drink a beer, and get ready to watch Joey Chestnut once again remind us that he is the most dominant athlete of all time.