employer john winthrop 
___MASK55___ Ocean is the second largest of the world ' s oceans with a total area of about . It covers approximately 20 percent of the Earth ' s surface and about 29 percent of its water surface area . It separates the " Old World " from the " New World ". Electricity is a physical phenomenon associated with the presence of electric charge . Although initially considered a phenomenon separate to magnetism , since the development of Maxwell ' s Equations both are recognized as part of a single phenomenon : electromagnetism . Various common phenomena are related to electricity , including lightning , static electricity , electric heating , electric discharges and many others . In addition , electricity is at the ___MASK82___ of many modern technologies . Seismology ( from Ancient Greek  (" seismós ") meaning " earthquake " and -  ("- logía ") meaning " study of ") is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet - like bodies . The field also includes studies of earthquake environmental effects such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic , tectonic , oceanic , atmospheric , and artificial processes such as explosions . A related field that uses geology to infer information regarding past earthquakes is paleoseismology . A recording of earth motion as a function of ___MASK57___ is called a seismogram . A seismologist is a scientist who does research in seismology . Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston , the ___MASK81___ of the U . S . state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England , as well as its surrounding areas . The region forms the northern arc of the U . S . northeast megalopolis and as such , Greater Boston can be described as either a metropolitan statistical area ( MSA ), or as a broader combined statistical area ( CSA ). The MSA consists of most of the eastern third of Massachusetts , excluding the South Coast region and Cape Cod ; while the CSA additionally includes the municipalities of Manchester ( the largest city in the U . S . state of New Hampshire ), Providence ( the ___MASK81___ of the U . S . state of Rhode Island ), Worcester , Massachusetts ( the second largest city in New England ), as well as the South Coast region and Cape Cod in Massachusetts . Greater Boston ' s most impactful contributions to human civilization involve the region ' s higher education institutions and sports culture . Greater Boston also constitutes a region influential upon American history and industry . The region and the state of Massachusetts are global leaders in biotechnology , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade . Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeast United States . It borders the other U . S . states of Massachusetts to the south , New Hampshire to the east , ___MASK29___ to the west , and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north . Lake Champlain forms half of Vermont ' s western border with the state of ___MASK29___ and the Green Mountains run north - south the length of the state . ___MASK22___ is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge , Massachusetts , established in 1636 , whose history , influence , and wealth have made it one of the world ' s most prestigious universities . A transit of Venus across ___MASK1___ takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between ___MASK1___ and a superior planet , becoming visible against ( and hence obscuring a small portion of ) the solar disk . During a transit , Venus can be seen from Earth as a small black disk moving across the face of ___MASK1___ . The duration of such transits is usually measured in hours ( the transit of 2012 lasted 6 hours and 40 minutes ). A transit is similar to a solar eclipse by the Moon . While the diameter of Venus is more than 3 times that of the Moon , Venus appears smaller , and travels more slowly across the face of ___MASK1___ , because it is much farther away from Earth . London is the ___MASK81___ and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom , as well as the most populous city proper in the European Union . Standing on the River Thames in the south east of the island of Great Britain , London has been a major settlement for two millennia . It was founded by the Romans , who named it " Londinium ". London ' s ancient core , the City of London , largely retains its medieval boundaries . Since at least the 19th century , " London " has also referred to the metropolis around this core , historically split between Middlesex , Essex , Surrey , Kent , and Hertfordshire , which today largely makes up Greater London , governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly . Venkatraman " Venki " Ramakrishnan ( born 1952 ) is an Indian - American - British structural biologist of Indian origin . He is the current President of the ___MASK84___ , having held the position since November 2015 . In 2009 he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Thomas A . Steitz and Ada Yonath , " for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome ". A star is a luminous sphere of plasma held together by its own gravity . The nearest star to Earth is ___MASK1___ . Many other stars are visible to the naked eye from Earth during the night , appearing as a multitude of fixed luminous points in the sky due to their immense distance from Earth . Historically , the most prominent stars were grouped into constellations and asterisms , the brightest of which gained proper names . Astronomers have assembled star catalogues that identify the known stars and provide standardized stellar designations . However , most of the stars in the Universe , including all stars outside our galaxy , the Milky Way , are invisible to the naked eye from Earth . Indeed , most are invisible from Earth even through the most powerful telescopes . Maine is the northernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . Maine is the 39th most extensive and the 41st most populous of the U . S . states and territories . It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west , ___MASK55___ Ocean to the east , and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the north . Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States , and the northernmost east of the Great Lakes . It is known for its jagged , rocky coastline ; low , rolling mountains ; heavily forested interior , and picturesque waterways ; and also its seafood cuisine , especially clams and lobster . There is a continental climate throughout the state , even in coastal areas such as its most populous city of Portland . The ___MASK81___ is Augusta . Venus is the second planet from ___MASK1___ , orbiting it every 224 . 7 Earth days . It has the longest rotation period ( 243 days ) of any planet in the Solar System and rotates in the opposite direction to most other planets . It has no natural satellite . It is named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty . It is the second - brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon , reaching an apparent magnitude of  4 . 6 , bright enough to cast shadows . Because Venus orbits within Earth ' s orbit it is an inferior planet and never appears to venture far from ___MASK1___ ; its maximum angular distance from ___MASK1___ ( elongation ) is 47 . 8 °. John Winthrop ( December 19 , 1714 -- May 3 , 1779 ) was the 2nd Hollis ___MASK52___ of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in Harvard College . He was a distinguished mathematician , physicist and astronomer , born in Boston , Mass . His great - great - grandfather , also named John Winthrop , was founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony . He graduated in 1732 from Harvard , where , from 1738 until his death he served as ___MASK52___ of mathematics and natural philosophy . ___MASK52___ Winthrop was one of the foremost men of science in America during the 18th century , and his impact on its early advance in New England was particularly significant . Both Benjamin Franklin and Benjamin Thompson ( Count Rumford ) probably owed much of their early interest in scientific research to his influence . He also had a decisive influence in the early philosophical education of John Adams , during the latter ' s ___MASK57___ at Harvard . He corresponded regularly with the ___MASK84___ in London -- as such , one of the first American intellectuals of his ___MASK57___ to be taken seriously in Europe . He was noted for attempting to explain the great Lisbon earthquake of 1755 as a scientific -- rather than religious -- phenomenon , and his application of mathematical computations to earthquake activity following the great quake has formed the basis of the claim made on his behalf as the founder of the science of seismology . Additionally , he observed the transits of Mercury in 1740 and 1761 and journeyed to Newfoundland to observe a transit of Venus . He traveled in a ship provided by the Province of Massachusetts - probably the first scientific expedition ever sent out by any incipient American state . He served as acting president of Harvard in 1769 and again in 1773 ; but both times declined the offer of the full presidency on the grounds of old age . During the nine months in 1775 - 1776 when Harvard moved to Concord , Massachusetts , Winthrop occupied the house which was later to become famous as The Wayside , home to Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne . Additionally , he was actively interested in public affairs , was for several years a judge of probate in Middlesex County , was a member of the Governor ' s Council in 1773 - 74 , and subsequently offered the weight of his influence to the patriotic cause in the Revolution . He published : Lecture on Earthquakes ( 1755 ) Answer to Mr . Prince ' s Letter on Earthquakes ( 1756 ) Account of Some Fiery Meteors ( 1755 ) Two Lectures on the Parallax ( 1769 ) In addition to his scientific and mathematical accomplishments , he also fathered a son , James Winthrop , who continued his father ' s political work . Benjamin Franklin ( April 17 , 1790 ) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . Franklin was a renowned polymath and a leading author , printer , political theorist , politician , freemason , postmaster , scientist , inventor , civic activist , statesman , and diplomat . As a scientist , he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity . As an inventor , he is known for the lightning rod , bifocals , and the Franklin stove , among other inventions . He facilitated many civic organizations , including Philadelphia ' s fire department and The ___MASK12___ , an Ivy League institution . As seen from the Earth , a solar eclipse is a type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between ___MASK1___ and Earth , and the Moon fully or partially blocks (" occults ") ___MASK1___ . This can happen only at new moon when ___MASK1___ and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth in an alignment referred to as syzygy . In a total eclipse , the disk of ___MASK1___ is fully obscured by the Moon . In partial and annular eclipses , only part of ___MASK1___ is obscured . The American Enlightenment is a period of intellectual ferment in the thirteen American colonies in the period 1714  1818 , which led to the American Revolution , and the creation of the American Republic . Influenced by the 18th - century European Enlightenment and its own native American philosophy , the American Enlightenment applied scientific reasoning to politics , science , and religion , promoted religious tolerance , and restored literature , the arts , and music as important disciplines and professions worthy of study in colleges . The " new - model " American style colleges of King ' s College ___MASK29___ ( now Columbia University ), and the College of Philadelphia ( now Penn ) were founded , Yale College and the ___MASK11___ were reformed , and a non - denominational moral philosophy replaced theology in many college curricula ; even Puritan colleges such as the College of New Jersey ( now Princeton University ) and ___MASK22___ reformed their curricula to include natural philosophy ( science ), modern astronomy , and mathematics . ___MASK1___ is the star at the center of the Solar System . It is a nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma , with internal convective motion that generates a magnetic field via a dynamo process .< ref name =" doi10 . 1146 / annurev - astro - 081913 - 040012 "></ ref > It is by far the most important source of energy for ___MASK9___ on Earth . Its diameter is about 109 times that of Earth , and its mass is about 330 , 000 times that of Earth , accounting for about 99 . 86 % of the total mass of the Solar System . About three quarters of the Sun ' s mass consists of hydrogen (~ 73 %); the rest is mostly helium (~ 25 %), with much smaller quantities of heavier elements , including oxygen , carbon , neon , and iron . The Universe is all of ___MASK57___ and space and its contents . It includes planets , moons , minor planets , stars , galaxies , the contents of intergalactic space , and all matter and energy . The size of the entire Universe is unknown . Rhode Island , officially the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations , is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . Rhode Island is the smallest in area , the eighth least populous , and the second most densely populated of the 50 U . S . states , following New Jersey . Its official name is also the longest of any state in the Union . Rhode Island is bordered by Connecticut to the west , Massachusetts to the north and east , and ___MASK55___ Ocean to the south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound . The state also shares a short maritime border with ___MASK29___ . Connecticut is the southernmost state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . Connecticut is also often grouped along with ___MASK29___ and New Jersey as the Tri - State Area . It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east , Massachusetts to the north , ___MASK29___ to the west , and Long Island Sound to the south . Its capital city is Hartford , and its most populous city is Bridgeport . The state is named for the Connecticut River , a major U . S . river that approximately bisects the state . The word " Connecticut " is derived from various anglicized spellings of an Algonquian word for " long tidal river ". The ___MASK12___ ( commonly known as Penn or UPenn ) is a private , Ivy League university located in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States . Incorporated as " The Trustees of the ___MASK12___ ", Penn is one of 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities and one of the nine original colonial colleges . Bavaria is a federal state of Germany . Located in the German southeast with an area of 70 , 548 square kilometres ( 27 , 200 sq mi ), Bavaria is the largest German state . Its territory comprises roughly a fifth of the total land area of Germany , and , with 12 . 9 million inhabitants , it is Germany ' s second most populous state . Munich , Bavaria ' s ___MASK81___ and largest city , is the third largest city in Germany . New England is a geographical region comprising six states of the northeast United States : Connecticut , Maine , Massachusetts , New Hampshire , Rhode Island , and Vermont . It is bordered by the state of ___MASK29___ to the west and south , and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north , respectively . The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and southeast , and Long Island Sound is to the south . Boston is its largest city . Its largest metropolitan area is Greater Boston , which also includes Worcester ( the second - largest city in New England ), Manchester ( the largest city in New Hampshire ), and Providence ( the capital and largest city of Rhode Island ), with nearly a third of the entire region ' s population . John Adams ( October 30 [ O . S . October 19 ] 1735  July 4 , 1826 ) was an American patriot who served as the second President of the United States ( 1797  1801 ) and the first Vice President ( 1789  97 ). He was a lawyer , diplomat , statesman , political theorist , and , as a Founding Father , a leader of the movement for American independence from Great Britain . He was also a dedicated diarist and correspondent , particularly with his wife and closest advisor Abigail . Sir Benjamin Thompson , Count Rumford , FRS ( March 26 , 1753August 21 , 1814 ) was an American - born British physicist and inventor whose challenges to established physical theory were part of the 19th century revolution in thermodynamics . He served as lieutenant - colonel of the King ' s American Dragoons , part of the British Loyalist forces , during the American Revolutionary War . After the end of the war he moved to London , where his administrative talents were recognized when he was appointed a full Colonel , and in 1784 he received a knighthood from King George III . A prolific designer , Thompson also drew designs for warships . He later moved to Bavaria and entered government service there , being appointed Bavarian Army Minister and re - organizing the army , and , in 1791 , was made a Count of the Holy Roman Empire . Plymouth Colony ( sometimes New Plymouth ) was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691 . The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth , a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith . The settlement served as the ___MASK81___ of the colony , and is the modern town of Plymouth , Massachusetts . At its height , Plymouth Colony occupied most of the southeastern portion of the modern state of Massachusetts . The Ivy League is a collegiate athletic conference comprising sports teams from eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States . The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group beyond the sports context . The eight institutions are ___MASK71___ , Columbia University , Cornell University , Dartmouth College , ___MASK22___ , the University of Pennsylvania , Princeton University , and Yale University . The term " Ivy League " has connotations of academic excellence , selectivity in admissions , and social elitism . A seismogram is a graph output by a seismograph . It is a record of the ground motion at a measuring station as a function of ___MASK57___ . Seismograms typically record motions in three cartesian axes ( x , y , and z ), with the z axis perpendicular to the Earth ' s surface and the x - and y - axes parallel to the surface . The energy measured in a seismogram may result from an earthquake or from some other source , such as an explosion . Seismograms can record lots of things , and record many little waves , called microseisms . These tiny microseisms can be caused by heavy traffic near the seismograph , waves hitting a beach , the wind , and any number of other ordinary things that cause some shaking of the seismograph . Historically , seismograms were recorded on paper attached to rotating drums . Some used pens on ordinary paper , while others used light beams to expose photosensitive paper . Today , practically all seismograms are recorded digitally to make analysis by computer easier . Some drum seismometers are still found , especially when used for public display . Seismograms are essential for finding the location and magnitude of earthquakes . Massachusetts Bay is a bay on ___MASK55___ Ocean that forms part of the coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . Earth , otherwise known as the world , is the third planet from ___MASK1___ and the only object in the Universe known to harbor ___MASK9___ . It is the densest planet in the Solar System and the largest of the four terrestrial planets . Harvard College is the undergraduate liberal arts college of ___MASK22___ . Founded in 1636 in Cambridge , Massachusetts , it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of the most prestigious in the world . An earthquake ( also known as a quake , tremor or temblor ) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth , resulting from the sudden release of energy in the Earth ' s lithosphere that creates seismic waves . Earthquakes can be violent enough to toss people around and destroy whole cities . The seismicity or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency , type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of ___MASK57___ . New Brunswick is one of ___MASK56___ ' s three Maritime provinces ( together with Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia ) and is the only constitutionally bilingual ( English  French ) province . Fredericton is the capital , Moncton is the largest metropolitan ( CMA ) area and Saint John is the most populous city . In the 2011 nationwide census , Statistics ___MASK56___ estimated the provincial population to have been 751 , 171 , being on an area of almost 73 , 000 km . The majority of the population is English - speaking , but there is also a large Francophone minority ( 33 %), chiefly of Acadian origin . The current premier of the province is Brian Gallant . It was created as a result of the partitioning of the British colony of Nova Scotia in 1784 . The provincial flag features a ship superimposed on a yellow background with a yellow " lion passant guardant " on red pennon above it . Long Island Sound is a tidal estuary of ___MASK55___ Ocean , lying between the eastern shores of Bronx County , ___MASK29___ City , southern Westchester County , and Connecticut to the north , and the North Shore of Long Island , to the south . From east to west , the sound stretches 110 miles ( 177 km ) from the East River in ___MASK29___ City , along the North Shore of Long Island , to Block Island Sound . A mix of freshwater from tributaries and saltwater from the ocean , Long Island Sound is 21 miles ( 34 km ) at its widest point and varies in depth from . A lightning rod ( US , AUS ) or lightning conductor ( UK ) is a metal rod or metallic object mounted on top of an elevated structure , such as a building , a ship , or even a tree , electrically bonded using a wire or electrical conductor to ___MASK90___ with ground or " earth " through an electrode , engineered to protect the structure in the event of lightning strike . If lightning hits the structure , it will preferentially strike the rod and be conducted to ground through the wire , instead of passing through the structure , where it could start a fire or cause electrocution . Lightning rods are also called finials , air terminals or strike termination devices . ___MASK52___ ( commonly abbreviated as " prof .") is an academic rank at universities and other post - secondary education and research institutions in most countries . Literally , " ___MASK52___ " derives from Latin as a " person who professes " being usually an expert in arts or sciences , a teacher of the highest rank . Quebec ( pronounced or ) is the second - most populous province of ___MASK56___ and the only one to have a predominantly French - speaking population , with French as the sole provincial official language . The President , Council and Fellows of the ___MASK84___ of London for Improving Natural Knowledge , commonly known as the ___MASK84___ , is a learned society for science and is possibly the oldest such society still in existence . Founded in November 1660 , it was granted a royal charter by King Charles II as " The ___MASK84___ ". The Society is the United Kingdom ' s and Commonwealth of Nations ' Academy of Sciences and fulfills a number of roles ; promoting science and its benefits , recognising excellence in science , supporting outstanding science , providing scientific advice for policy , fostering international and global cooperation , education and public engagement . The society is governed by its Council , which is chaired by the Society ' s President , according to a set of statutes and standing orders . The members of Council and the President are elected from and by its Fellows , the basic members of the society , who are themselves elected by existing Fellows . As of 2016 , there are about 1 , 600 fellows , allowed to use the postnominal title FRS ( Fellow of the ___MASK84___ ), with up to 52 new fellows appointed each year . There are also royal fellows , honorary fellows and foreign members , the last of which are allowed to use the postnominal title ForMemRS ( Foreign Member of the ___MASK84___ ). The ___MASK84___ President is Venkatraman Ramakrishnan , who took up the post on November 30 , 2015 . The President of the United States ( POTUS ) is the elected head of state and head of government of the United States . The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander - in - chief of the ___MASK68___ . New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south , Vermont to the west , Maine and ___MASK55___ Ocean to the east , and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north . New Hampshire is the 5th smallest by land area and the 9th least populous of the 50 United States . Fellowship of the ___MASK84___ ( FRS , ForMemRS & HonFRS ) is an award and fellowship granted by the ___MASK84___ of London to individuals the society judges to have made a " substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge , including mathematics , engineering science and medical science ". Massachusetts ; officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , is the most populous state in the New England region of the northeastern United States . It is bordered by ___MASK55___ Ocean to the east , the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south , New Hampshire and Vermont to the north , and ___MASK29___ to the west . The state is named for the Massachusett tribe , which once inhabited the area . The capital of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England is Boston . Over 80 % of Massachusetts ' population lives in the Greater Boston metropolitan area , a region influential upon American history , academia , and industry . Originally dependent on agriculture , fishing and trade , Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution . During the 20th century , Massachusetts ' economy shifted from manufacturing to services . Modern Massachusetts is a global leader in biotechnology , engineering , higher education , finance , and maritime trade . Boston ( pronounced ) is the ___MASK81___ and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States . Boston is also the seat of Suffolk County , although the county government was disbanded on July 1 , 1999 . The city proper covers with an estimated population of 667 , 137 in 2015 , making it the largest city in New England and the 23rd most populous city in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston , a Metropolitan Statistical Area ( MSA ) home to a census - estimated 4 . 7 million people in 2014 and ranking as the tenth - largest such area in the country . Alternately , as a Combined Statistical Area ( CSA ), this wider commuting region is home to some 8 . 1 million people , making it the sixth - largest as such in the United States . An academy of sciences is a type of learned society or academy ( as special scientific institution ) dedicated to sciences that could be or not state funded . Some state funded academies are tuned into national or royal ( in case of the United Kingdom i . e . ___MASK84___ of London for Improving Natural Knowledge ) as a form of honor . The other types of academy is an academy of arts ( see Academy of Arts ) or combination of both ( i . e . American Academy of Arts and Sciences ). A comet is an icy small Solar System body that , when passing close to ___MASK1___ , warms and begins to evolve gasses , a process called outgassing . This produces a visible atmosphere or coma , and sometimes also a tail . These phenomena are due to the effects of solar radiation and the solar wind acting upon the nucleus of the comet . Comet nuclei range from a few hundred metres to tens of kilometres across and are composed of loose collections of ice , dust , and small rocky particles . The coma may be up to 15 times the Earth ' s diameter , while the tail may stretch one astronomical unit . If sufficiently bright , a comet may be seen from the Earth without the aid of a telescope and may subtend an arc of 30 ° ( 60 Moons ) across the sky . Comets have been observed and recorded since ancient times by many cultures . John Winthrop ( 12 January 1587 / 88  26 March 1649 ) was an English Puritan lawyer and one of the leading figures in founding the Massachusetts Bay Colony , the second major settlement in New England , following Plymouth Colony . Winthrop led the first large wave of immigrants from England in 1630 and served as governor for 12 of the colony ' s first 20 years . His writings and vision of the colony as a Puritan " city upon a hill " dominated New England colonial development , influencing the governments and religions of neighboring colonies . An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who concentrates their studies on a specific question or field outside of the scope of Earth . They look at stars , planets , moons , comets and galaxies , as well as many other celestial objects  either in observational astronomy , in analyzing the data or in theoretical astronomy . Examples of topics or fields astronomers work on include : planetary science , solar astronomy , the origin or evolution of stars , or the formation of galaxies . There are also related but distinct subjects like physical cosmology which studies the Universe as a whole . The American Revolutionary War ( 17751783 ), also referred to as the American War of Independence and the Revolutionary War in the United States , was an armed conflict between Great Britain and thirteen of its North American colonies that after onset of the war declared independence as the ___MASK45___ . A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent , granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate . They were , and are still , used to establish significant organisations such as cities ( with municipal charters ) or universities and learned societies . Charters should be distinguished from warrants and letters of appointment , as they have perpetual effect . Typically , a Royal Charter is produced as a high - quality work of calligraphy on vellum . The British monarchy has issued over 980 royal charters . Of these about 750 remain in existence . The earliest was to the town of Tain in 1066 , making it the oldest Royal Burgh in Scotland , followed by the ___MASK88___ in 1231 . Charters continue to be issued by the British Crown , a recent example being that awarded to the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity , on 7 April 2011 . The Founding Fathers of the United States are the individuals of the Thirteen British Colonies in North America who led the American Revolution against the authority of the British Crown and established the ___MASK45___ . The term is also used more narrowly , referring specifically to those who either signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 or who were delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and took part in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States . A further subset includes those who signed the Continental Association or the Articles of Confederation . During much of the 19th century , they were referred to as either the " Founders " or the " Fathers ".