Antedating of "Founding Fathers"

[Stephen Goranson]

Quoting "Shapiro, Fred" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>:

> The OED's first use for "founding father" is dated 1914, but this is
> an error for 1941.  I have previously traced the term back to 1910
> with citations strongly suggesting that Warren Harding was the
> coiner.  However, I have now found the following antedating that
> presumably disproves the Harding coinage:
>
> 1894 _Congressional Record_ 6 June 5849 (Hein Online)  In that
> magnificent electoral revolution which had effaced Harrison ... they
> saw born again the grand and fearless spirit of the founding fathers
> of the American Constitution.

Here's an apparent 1886.
http://books.google.com/books?id=re5C-7xDS5MC&pg=PA45&dq=%22the+founding+fathers%22+date:1860-1893&lr=&as_brr=1

The One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Consociatons, Fairfield
East...
p.45
"Patriotism in Our Churches"
By Rev. Edward Anderson
Our land has been made secure (who doubts it) because of the Christian
principle
that underlies it, as shown in the deeply religious phaze of our war. Are
prayers of the founding fathers to be echoed in prayers of the establishing
sons, for nothing?

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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