Traditionally, authors of history use footnotes to source the material they are writing about. A reader of this website will quickly realize that footnotes are not used. There are two reasons for this.
Reason First: Publishing daily articles consumes quite a bit of time.
The process of linking to every outside source would slow my production to a crawl and make continued growth of Founder of the Day nearly impossible.
Reason Second: I want you to do the research.
OK, that’s a stretch. But the reason I began this website was to spark interest in some of the lesser known Founders. This is a jumping off point. I hope when you read an article on this site it peaks your curiosity. I hope you find the need to learn more. I hope you go to other websites. I hope you buy a book. I hope you visit an historic site, donate to a Revolutionary preservation group, or just strike up a conversation with a friend.
Although I do not use footnotes, there are several ways to verify the information on Founder of the Day.
I always include links a book related to the topic Founder of the Day. These can be purchased through Amazon who I am an affiliate of (so I get a small commission on each sale which does not affect the price but does support the website). These books will both back up the information I present as well as provide additional reading. I have not necessarily read all of the books myself, as some are fairly obscure, however I default to my favorite authors at every opportunity.
Sometimes I will use quotes in the articles, which can either be found in the recommended readings or at Founders Online. Founders Online is a collection of over 180,000 correspondence, diaries and publications of the Founding Generation. It is a product of the National Archives and is an invaluable resource for studying the American Revolution.
Finally, if you have a question, you can always reach out to me directly. This can be done by leaving a comment on our posts or Facebook page or by emailing me at contact@founderoftheday.com.