Supporting the Fourth Estate Among the founding fathers of our nation, there were a handful of farmers, a large number of merchants, a few with their training in law, and a small number that were involved with newspapers. While we're all acutely aware of Benjamin Franklin's journalistic endeavors, or Patrick Henry's exhortations for independence, many may be less aware of early newspapers founded by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Interestingly, the newspaper the latter two patriots f ...