Conversation so far:
who were the founding fathers of the 13 colonies
The Founding Fathers were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.
what did the founding fathers do
The Founding Fathers united the Thirteen Colonies, led the war for independence from Great Britain, and built a frame of government for the new United States of America.

Question: who influenced the men
Self-contained rewrite: who influenced the founding fathers