Want to Know the History
Behind Our EMAP Portfolio Names?
The portfolios of the Edelman Managed Asset Program® are named after American patriots from the Colonial era.
These figures, rich and poor, black and white, male and female, came from a wide variety of backgrounds, yet shared the common values of the American dream: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Through their dedication to these principles, they founded a country where everyone is free to pursue their goals.
John Adams
Massachusetts native John Adams was educated at Harvard and then studied law. He was an early and leading advocate for separation of the Colonies from England.
Adams served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and was appointed a delegate to the Continental Congress.
The ratification of the Declaration of Independence by Congress on July 4, 1776, followed an impassioned and vigorous defense of the document by Adams.
Adams served eight years as vice president to George Washington and, in 1797, succeeded Washington as president. He was not popular and Jefferson defeated him in the following election. Formerly friends, Adams and Jefferson became estranged and didn’t speak for 15 years. Spurred on by Dolly Adams, they renewed their contact and exchanged dozens of letters in their final years, writing to posterity as much as each other.
Adams died in Boston on July 4, 1826 — exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. His last words were “Jefferson lives.” He was wrong — Jefferson had died several hours earlier at his home in Monticello — but he was right, too, for Jefferson remains closer to American hearts.
James Armistead
In the closing days of the Revolutionary War, Lafayette was closing in on the Britsh General Cornwallis, but he did not know Cornwallis’ latest plans. Lafayette got the information he needed — and passed it along to General Washington — from a “servant” named James Armistead. Armistead was actually a slave who had been hired by the British as a spy. Lafayette hired Armistead as well, turning him into a double agent. As a member of Cornwallis’ household staff, Armistead was able to move about freely and was unquestionably Lafayette’s best source of intelligence about the enemy.
Armistead’s reports were instrumental in enabling Lafayette to corner Cornwallis in Yorktown, where the British surrendered with nary a shot fired. When slaves who had fought in the war were emancipated, Armistead wasn’t eligible because he technically wasn’t a soldier. He petitioned the Virginia Assembly for freedom and received support from Lafayette, who wrote a letter of commendation in 1784 supporting James’ petition. In 1786, the Assembly granted James his freedom and awarded him a pension. In gratitude, James changed his name to James Armistead Lafayette.
When the Marquis returned to America in 1824, he saw James while touring Yorktown and embraced him in a scene widely reported throughout the states. James became a farmer and died in 1830. Because he had several children, some Americans with the last name Armistead may be his descendants.
Crispus Attucks
Frequently named as the first casualty of the American Revolution, Attucks was shot and killed by British soldiers during the Boston Massacre in 1770.
Little is known about Attucks, who was believed to be a sailor and former slave of African American and Native American descent born around 1723. But his image — that of a dark-skinned man with two bullet wounds — was memorialized in inflammatory prints of the massacre produced by Paul Revere and distributed throughout New England as anti-British propaganda.
John & William Bartram
The “Father of American Botany,” John Bartram and his son William explored the American south, collecting and documenting plant and seed specimens while discovering new species.
Born in 1699, John opened what is believed to be the first botanical garden in America and helped found the American Philosophical Society with Benjamin Franklin in 1743. He also sent hundreds of plant specimens to Europe, which helped Swedish taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus develop the scientific plant classification used today.
William, born in 1739, expanded on his father’s work by exploring the territory of the Cherokee nation and documenting plant life. The record of his travels, Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida, the Cherokee Country, etc. became a major influence for American romantic poets like William Wordsworth.
Stephen Decatur
Commodore Decatur fought heroically in four wars and helped define the new and growing U.S. Navy.
Decatur was born in Maryland in 1779. He was appointed Midshipman in the U.S. Navy in 1798 and served during the War with France and War with Tripoli. After the enemy captured the USS Philadelphia, he led a daring raid to recapture the ship from the harbor of Tripoli. His exploits are sung in the opening verse of the Marine’s Hymn.
During the War of 1812, Decatur commanded the USS United States and distinguished himself with the capture of the HMS Macedonian. Decatur later commanded the U.S. Mediterranean Squadron.
He served as Navy Commissioner from 1816 to 1820. He became a wealthy man by attacking and capturing enemy vessels (profiteering was commonplace) and built a home across the street from the White House. Today a museum, Decatur House is one of the oldest surviving homes in Washington, DC, and one of only three remaining residential buildings in the country designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the father of American architecture.
Decatur died at age 41 in a duel with Commodore James Barron.
James Forten
The “merchant prince” of Philadelphia, Forten used his influence as one of the wealthiest blacks of his era to fight against slavery and legislation aimed at limiting the rights of African Americans.
Born in 1766, Forten’s fortune came from sail-making and a popular device he invented for handling sails. Before buying the firm (where he apprenticed for eight years), Forten got his sea legs as a privateer during the American Revolution. When his ship was captured in 1781, his patriotism caused him to turn down an offer of patronage and an education in Great Britain from a charmed enemy captain and instead chose to remain a prisoner.
Later on, he used his money to fund abolitionist activities like William Lloyd Garrison’s newspaper The Liberator and fought efforts to send freed blacks “back” to Africa. He also founded a school when the elite white institutions of Philadelphia refused to enroll his daughters.
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin is one of the best-known of our Founders. He was a leading writer, publisher, inventor, diplomat, scientist, philosopher — and diplomat. During the American Revolution, Franklin secured crucial support from France. Without that aid, America would have lost the war.
Franklin is well-known for his experiments with electricity and lightning. He’s credited with inventing the lightning rod, the Franklin Stove and bifocals. He also published Poor Richard’s Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette.
Franklin served as Postmaster General under the Continental Congress and later became a prominent abolitionist. His autobiography is considered the greatest of Colonial America.
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton was the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, serving in the Cabinet of George Washington. He was chiefly responsible for establishing the credit of the United States, at home and abroad. He created the plan to pay off the Revolutionary War debt and formed the first national bank.
During the Revolution, Hamilton served as an aide to General Washington. He was a member of the Continental Congress and served at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
Hamilton founded the Bank of New York, which still exists. Married and the father of eight children, he had an affair with a married woman, whose husband blackmailed him. Hamilton chose to go public, and had a newspaper print his letter about the relationship. It was the first sex scandal of American politics.
In 1804, he was mortally wounded in a duel with his political enemy, Aaron Burr. Burr was the first Vice President to shoot someone while in office; Dick Cheney became the second.
John Hancock
A graduate of Harvard, Hancock was a fierce patriot and the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. Like all the signers, his name was kept secret because had the British learned his identity, he would have been captured and killed, and his body dismembered. As perhaps the richest man in the colonies, Hancock had the most to lose.
He served as senior major general of the Massachusetts Militia during the Revolutionary War. He also was a member of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1778 and served as President of Congress for the majority of that time.
He served twice as governor of Massachusetts, from 1780 to1785 and from 1787 until his death in 1793. Hancock died in Quincy, Mass., where he was also born.
Lemuel Haynes
Abandoned by his parents shortly after his birth in 1753, Haynes was an indentured servant until age 21. By the end of his life, Haynes had broken color lines by becoming the first black man to pastor a white congregation, serving as pastor to at least five white congregations.
Upon his release from servitude in 1774, Haynes enrolled in the minutemen of Granville, Massachusetts, and fought at the Battle of Lexington later that year. In 1776, he helped capture Fort Ticonderoga as one of Ethan Allen’s “Green Mountain Boys.” During the revolution he penned an essay, “Liberty Further Extended,” expressing optimism that the American Revolution would bring an end to slavery. He continued to advocate for an end to slavery throughout his life.
Patrick Henry
Henry, born in Hanover County, Va., in 1736, became a lawyer, patriot, orator and willing participant in virtually every aspect of the founding of America. He served in the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress and was a three-time governor of Virginia.
Widely regarded as the greatest orator of the era, people flocked to hear Henry speak. At a March 1775 meeting of the legislature in Richmond, arguing for a break with England, Henry delivered a speech so powerful that his words survive to this day. “Give me liberty or give me death” is among the best-known phrases in the English language. As he uttered those words, Henry acted as though he held a knife in his hands and mimed the action of stabbing himself in the chest as he fell into his chair. It was one of the greatest performances of all time. Word of the speech quickly spread throughout the colonies and into history.
Either in spite of or because of his patriotism, Henry strongly opposed the new U.S. Constitution. He felt the proposed federal government had too much power over the states and he especially disliked the lack of rights. At Virginia’s Ratifying Convention, he led the fight to oppose approval. Virginia’s vote was closely watched by other colonies; if ratification was denied, the Constitution would not become law and the young nation would disintegrate. However, ratification was supported by James Madison. A small man with a weak voice who hated speaking in public, Madison found himself debating the greatest speaker of the age. After a ferocious fight complete with underhanded tactics, Virginia voted to ratify. Although Henry was a better speaker, Madison had the facts — and the facts won the day. New York and the colonies soon followed, and the new nation was born.
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was a firm believer in the natural rights of the individual, and one of the most important figures of our revolution. An avid reader, linguist and inventor, as well as a student of mathematics, science, agriculture, and architecture, he was perhaps the most intellectual and cultivated leader of the era. (He was also perhaps the greatest spendthrift.)
Although he was our nation’s third president (and served two terms), he did not consider that accomplishment important enough to note on his tombstone — even though his successes included the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Nor does his marker note his service in Paris, where he joined Benjamin Franklin to obtain French support for the Revolutionary War. Nor Monticello, striking for its advanced design.
None of those were noteworthy enough for Jefferson. Instead, as he requested, his tombstone cites only three accomplishments. First is his role as author of the Declaration of Independence. Second is his role as author of Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom. And finally, reflecting his devotion to universal education, his tombstone notes that he founded the University of Virginia.
Absalom Jones
A forerunner to Rosa Parks, Jones formed the African Protestant Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia and became the first black Episcopal priest in 1804 after he was forcibly removed from a church for sitting in the front row of the gallery.
Born a slave in Delaware in 1746, he became a free man in 1784 by saving enough money to purchase his freedom. (He had previously bought freedom for his wife in 1778.) He helped found the Free Africa Society, which provided medical and economic aid to blacks and advocated for abolition, in 1787. It was the first black organization in English-speaking America.
Jones also used his status in the community to rally blacks to defend Philadelphia during the War of 1812.
The Marquis de Lafayette
Defying orders of King Louis XVI, French General Lafayette came to America in 1777 to offer his services to the Continental Congress. He served under George Washington at the Battle of Brandywine and at Valley Forge, and distinguished himself at the Battle of Yorktown. He and Washington developed an extremely close relationship; Lafayette had no father and Washington no children, and they adopted each other. Without Lafayette’s help, France would not have supported the American cause so dramatically.
Lafayette also was active in the French Revolution and advocated the transfer of France into a constitutional monarchy. He eventually lost his leading role in the revolution, fled France, was arrested in Belgium by the Austrian army, and spent five years in prison.
After his release, he returned to America to see Washington. He was feted throughout the country, and today hundreds of towns are named after him. So is a college in Pennsylvania. Lafayette died in Paris in 1834. He was twice made an Honorary Citizen of the United States — first in 1824 and again in 2002, granted posthumously by Congress.
Sybil Ludington
Sixteen-year-old Ludington was putting her younger siblings to bed on the night of April 26, 1777, when she learned that British troops were burning the town of Danbury, Conn., just 25 miles away.
Sybil’s father was a colonel in the local militia, but his men were scattered over a wide area around what is now Ludington, N.Y. After convincing her father to let her go, Sybil rode 40 miles on horseback on dark, unmarked roads to spread the alert, even fighting off a highwayman by herself. The men she summoned successfully drove the British troops back to their ships in Long Island Sound. For her heroism, she was personally congratulated by General George Washington.
Today, visitors to Putnam County, N.Y., can trace the path of Ludington’s midnight ride by following markers placed along the route.
James Madison
Although he was the fourth president of the United States, Madison’s greatest contribution had already occurred. He is widely regarded as the “Father of the Constitution.”
Madison was one of the most active participants in Philadelphia’s Constitutional Convention. Without him, it is unlikely that the Constitution would have been ratified — Patrick Henry and others strongly opposed it — and it was only after Madison persuaded the others that the new Congress would pass a Bill of Rights. Madison made good on his promise.
George Mason
Mason was born in 1725, and became one of the richest planters in Virginia.
He served as justice of the Fairfax County Court, trustee of the City of Alexandria, and was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Mason was key author of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights, which served as a model for Thomas Jefferson in the first part of the Declaration of Independence and was the basis for the Bill of Rights, which was championed by Mason’s colleague James Madison. Ironically, Mason himself decided to vote against the new Constitution at the Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, citing the absence of a declaration of rights and concerns about the power of the federal judiciary. Both of Mason’s concerns were later resolved via the Bill of Rights and the 11th Amendment to the Constitution.
James Monroe
Monroe was born in Westmoreland County, Va., in 1758, attended the College of William and Mary, and served with distinction in the Continental Army.
He was elected U.S. Senator in 1790, and later served as Minister to France and Governor of Virginia.
Monroe was elected President in 1816 and easily reelected in 1820. He was known for his notable Cabinet choices, which included John Quincy Adams as Secretary of State and John C. Calhoun as Secretary of War.
Monroe’s strong warning to European governments not to consider colonization of the American continents became known as the “Monroe Doctrine.”
Robert Morris
Morris is known as the “ Financier of the American Revolution” and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
He was born in England in 1734 and immigrated to America in 1747. As a Philadelphia businessman, Morris opposed British restrictions on the Colonies. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, and later arranged loans to finance the Continental Army.
Congress appointed Morris superintendent of finance for the new nation, and he guided the organization of a national bank and took steps toward establishment of a national mint.
Morris participated in the Federal Convention in 1787 and served as U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1789 to 1795.
Thomas Paine
Born in 1737 in England, Paine immigrated to America in 1774 after meeting Benjamin Franklin.
He became a publisher in Philadelphia and was noted for his criticism of slavery. Paine became a supporter of the cause for independence. He presented simple facts and plain arguments in favor of separation from England in the well-known pamphlet Common Sense. He generated more support for the Revolution than almost anyone.
Paine returned to Europe in 1787. His book Rights of Man was written in defense of the French Revolution, but it eventually led to his imprisonment. After his release, he accepted an invitation from Thomas Jefferson to return to America in 1802.
Paul Revere
Most people know Paul Revere only for his famous ride on the night of April 18, 1775, due to the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. However, Revere’s life involved much more, including industry and politics.
He was one of Boston’s leading silver artisans and was an innovator in the processing of copper and bronze.
Revere was an important political organizer in pre-Revolutionary Boston and became involved with secret patriot organizations such as the Committees of Correspondence and the Sons of Liberty.
Revere made his famous midnight ride to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were marching to arrest them. He witnessed the “shot heard ‘round the world” when fighting broke out in Lexington.
Following the Revolution, Revere opened a metal foundry and the first copper rolling mill in North America. He died in 1818 at the age of 83. The borrowed (some say stolen) horse on which he rode during his famous ride died that night.
Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross is widely believed to have made the first American flag after a visit in 1776 from George Washington.
Ross was a seamstress and upholsterer in Philadelphia at the time of the Continental Congress. She was also the official flag maker for the Pennsylvania Navy.
Her first husband, John Ross, a member of the Pennsylvania militia, was killed in an explosion while guarding an ammunition depot. Her second husband, Capt. Joseph Ashburn, died in a British prison after being captured at sea. Ross later married John Claypoole, a former sailor who went to work in Betsy’s upholstery business and then at the U.S. Customs House.
Ross died in 1836 at the age of 84.
John Sevier
Sevier, born in Rockingham County, Va., in 1745, was the founder of the town of New Market in the Shenandoah Valley, near the Nolichucky River. He earned renown as an Indian fighter and was made captain of the Virginia Line. He was involved in the American Revolution from beginning to end and was said to have participated in as many as 30 battles.
As a leading resident of the area, “Nolichucky Jack” petitioned the Continental Congress for permission to cede from Virginia and form its own colony. Sevier offered to name the colony “Frankland” in honor of Ben Franklin. Franklin, who was in Paris seeking French support for the war, refused to help Sevier. Years later, Sevier tried again. This time, Congress agreed. The name of the new state was suggested by Andrew Jackson: Tennessee. Sevier was elected its first governor and served three terms before returning to Congress.
Caesar Tarrant
Born into slavery in Hampton, Va., in 1740, Tarrant somehow acquired the skills of a river pilot. This expertise earned him an appointment to the Virginia State Navy during the Revolution.
For three years, Tarrant skillfully piloted a number of vessels in battle, enhancing his reputation as a skilled and valiant pilot.
After the war, Tarrant returned to slavery but was granted his freedom in 1789 by the Virginia General Assembly. He purchased land in Hampton, where he lived and continued to work as a river pilot. Tarrant died in 1797.
George Washington
The “Father of Our Country” was born in Virginia in 1732. Washington was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in 1754 and fought in the first skirmishes that led to the French and Indian War (some historians say, due to inexperience, his actions at Fort Necessity actually caused the war). From 1759 until the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his Mount Vernon estate and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Like other Colonial planters, Washington felt exploited by British merchants and constrained by the regulations of the mother country.
Washington was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775 and was named Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. He commanded throughout the Revolutionary War, survived several assassination attempts and thwarted coups, and accepted the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.
Following the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 and the ratification of the new Constitution, the first Electoral College unanimously elected Washington president of the new democracy in 1789. At the end of his second term, Washington retired to Mount Vernon. He died in 1799.
Historians agree that without Washington, the nation would not have survived. Of all the revolutionaries, Washington was in a class by himself.
Phillis Wheatley
America’s first black poet, Wheatley became a literary sensation famous throughout the colonies for her writing about religion and the Revolution. Her fans included founding fathers like George Washington, the subject of her poem “To His Excellency General Washington,” who she met in 1776.
Born in Africa around 1753, she was taken aboard a slave ship and sold to the Wheatleys, a wealthy Boston family in 1761 when she was 7 or 8 years old. The family not only christened Wheatley, but took the unusual step of educating her in English, Latin, history, mythology and other subjects. She wrote her first poem at age 14 and published her only book Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral in 1773, the first book ever published by a black woman.
She was freed in 1778 and died in poverty at age 31 while working on a second book of poetry, which was lost.
James Wilson
Pennsylvania lawyer Wilson was influential in helping to sway the minds of American colonists toward separation from England.
His 1774 essay, “Considerations on the Nature and Extent of the Legislative Authority,” put forth arguments which severely challenged parliamentary authority over America.
Wilson was a member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence as a member of the Second Continental Congress. His ideas were heavily incorporated into the drafting of the Constitution in 1787.
Wilson was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court in 1789.
