As I mentioned in the previous entry in this series, John Locke had a great influence on the characters who led the independence of the 13 colonies, which resulted in the creation of the United States of America. Several of the so-called Founding Fathers were also enlightened with very broad intellectual interests. It is possible that there has been no generation of politicians in human history who has had such close proximity to science as those who achieved independence from the United States and those who led it in its early steps.
The most important characters were George Washington (first president of the United States), John Adams (second president), Thomas Jefferson (third president) and Benjamin Franklin (scientist and diplomat).
Of that quartet, the only one that can be said to have had nothing to do with science was the first, Washington. He had not received a formal education and professionally dedicated himself to work as a surveyor and on his farm, which is where he returned after the war of independence and his term as president.
