M&M's

Founding Fathers - Madison/Franklin      

Civil Rights/Minority - MLK Jr

Martin Luther King, Jr. can easily be considered the most influential civil rights leader in history. Born in Atlanta, Georgia 1929, this morale activist became the national face of the civil rights cause. To end the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination, the Baptist minister began making his impact with the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott. President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, he led the thirteen month long boycott that ended with the Supreme Court ruling segregation on public buses as unconstitutional. He was leader of the civil rights organization Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957. King helped organize the 1963 nonviolent protests in Birmingham, Alabama which lead to a violent police response publicized over television. From 1957 through 1968, he traveled over 6 million miles, delivered 2500 speeches, wrote five books, and dozens of articles. Of all the speeches he’s delivered, none have stood the test of time as his “I have a Dream” speech. Symbolically delivered from the steps of the Lincoln memorial 1963, he spoke in front of 250,000 people both black and white. King had become such a force in America that he was named Time Magazines Man of the Year in 1963. A nice achievement in deed, but it paled in comparison when in 1964, he became the youngest man ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Though he spent his life a target of violent attempt, he never allowed the threats to discourage him. He was jailed over 20 times, was once stabbed in the chest, and his house was bombed. Despite all this, King continued to work tirelessly to promote the cause he so strongly believed in with a peaceful, nonviolent manner. He was assassinated on April 4 in Memphis, Tennessee, but his “dream” still leads on. Thanks to Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a public holiday to celebrate the man and what he stood for.  

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Women - Soujourner Truth   

Video

Sojourner Truth, formerly known as Isabella Baumfree, was enslaved at nine years old in New York City. At the age of 26 she escaped with her baby girl, leaving her other two children behind. Shortly after, she found out her 5 year old son, Peter, had been illegally sold off to a man in Alabama. Without hesitation Truth took the issue to court and became one of the first cases where a black woman successfully challenged a white man in the United States. Soon after, Truth devoted herself to the abolitionist movement. She met with leading abolitionists such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass to discuss not only racial equality but also women’s rights. After publishing her memoirs, Truth spoke at the first National Women’s Rights convention in Massachusetts leading her to tour and give speeches to audiences all over the United States. In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered the famous speech “Ain’t I a Woman” which questioned the validity of sexist arguments. Full of radical attempts at gaining women’s rights and equality, her piece was quickly recorded and published. During the Civil War, she recruited union troops and met and spoke with Abraham Lincoln to share her beliefs and experiences.

Truth argued that both women and people of color needed rights to gain self-sufficiency. She once said, “ If women want any rights more than they's got, why don't they just take them, and not be talking about it”. Although she devoted her life to taking a stand for immediate results in all aspects of equality, Truth never lived to see women gain the rights they deserved. Yet Sojourner Truth, even after her death in 1883, lived on through the movement she helped create. Due to her radical speeches, and hard work, she set inspired countless women to take action and gain freedom for all. In 2009 a statue to commemorate her success opened at the capitol of the United States. This made her the first African-American woman to be memorialized at the US capitol proving that her continuous work has made her incredibly influential, even a century after her death.  

Lincoln Lottery - Truman/Wilson    

Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945-1953, following the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Truman successfully guided the United States through the end of World War II, both through the negotiations of the Potsdam conference, as well as through the courageous dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. By using the United States’ greatest weapon at a time when many others would not have, Truman shortened World War II on the order of years, not of months, and most likely saved millions of lives, both American and Japanese. Shortly after the conclusion of World War II, President Truman initiated Cold War foreign policy and pioneered the policy of containment when dealing with communistic threats. He led the wildly successful Marshall Plan, which by giving aid to Western European countries both helped them to recover from the destruction of World War II and prevented them from falling under Soviet influence. Along with the Truman Doctrine, which limited foreign aid by the United States to those countries opposed to Soviet or communist influence, this plan helped to solidify the front against the advancing iron curtain and to propel the United States and the Western Democracies towards an eventual Cold War victory. Truman helped to defeat the Imperialist Japanese in World War II, the Communist USSR in the Cold War, and defined the face of American foreign policy for nearly half a century.

 

Wilson

Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the penultimate leader of the progressivist movement, following and expanding the domestic policies of progressive presidents before him. Wilson worked to significantly reduce tariffs and other duties during his first term, believing that lower tariffs would promote popular freedom. He also passed the Federal Reserve Act of 1914 through Congress, which created a system of twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks and authorized those banks to print Federal Reserve notes. In keeping with the antitrust sentiments of earlier progressive presidents, Wilson passed the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914, which created the Federal Trade Commission, a regulatory body designed to prevent both monopolization and other unfair business practices. When World War I broke out in Europe in 1914, Wilson was extremely skilled in maintaining American peace and neutrality, successfully staying out of the war while earning an enormous profit in European trade until 1917. When it was clear in 1917 that the United States had to enter the war, Wilson requested and received a declaration of war from Congress. The war was largely over before American troops could have much impact on the battlefield, but what Wilson had won for the United States by that declaration of war was a say in postwar peace negotiations, with little loss of American lives. Wilson came to the Paris Conference of 1919 with a comprehensive peace plan drawn up, known as his Fourteen Points. These points were designed to prevent large European wars in the future, and among other things called for an end to secret alliances, an agreement not to hinder trade on the high seas, and the creation of a peacekeeping League of Nations. While Wilson’s Fourteen Points were never integrated into the Treaty of Versailles in their entirety, many of his most important suggestions were eventually integrated into the treaty, as well as being extremely important and influential when the time came to create a postwar agreement following World War II
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General - Grant     

The civil war was tearing America apart and needed to be put to bed when Ulysses S. Grant energetically volunteered to fight for his country and became the command of the 21st Illinois Infantry. As his skills were evident, he was promoted quickly, first to brigadier general and then he was given the honor of command of the District of Southeast Missouri. Here, Grant was able to secure the nickname “Unconditional Surrender” after his major triumphs at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, placing him in the public’s eye although this is not what sticks out for our determined general. His cunning mind and advanced skill set in the military allowed him to succeed in the most important battle of the war for America. Lincoln, who had taken note of these notable qualities, graduated Grant to the rank of lieutenant general, and named him general-in-chief of the Armies of the United States in March 1864. With this position, and backed up by Lincoln the whole way, Grant defeated Robert E. Lee’s Army, forcing the South to surrender, in the battle of Appomattox Court House. This solidified a Northern victory which set the foundation for the moralities of America and keeping the country on track for granting every individual their basic human rights.

Although a strong general, this was not the end for Ulysses S. Grant. As a result of keeping the American people’s hopes and spirits high, they gladly voted him in as the 18th president of the United States of America. Grant did not stop his moving forward with America as his influence was not limited to the battlefield. As president, he set his mind to reconstruction. He worked towards peacefully bring back North and South together while upholding the rights of the newly freed slaves. One of his accomplishments in this area was bringing down the racist KKK in the deep south. Grant was the general that inspired America to stick to their founding fathers’ “all men are created equal”, locking in place the ideal America prides itself most on.

Entrepreneur - Carnegie     

A self-made man, Andrew Carnegie worked hard to eventually become one of the most successful businessmen in America, and can be considered one of the most influential of the philanthropists. Of the first to employ vertical integration, Carnegie’s drive for efficiency would revolutionize the steel industry, allowing him to produce the best steel at the lowest prices. In 1900, his corporation produced more steel than all of Britain. This widely available steel contributed to the expansion of the railroad and the construction of urban cities, bridges, and skyscrapers, which furthered American industrialization and the urban population. When he was urged to join other corporations in a trust founded by figures like the Moore Brothers, Carnegie refused to join them, as he disliked the regulation of prices and lack of competition such amalgamation brought. Later in his life, Carnegie sought to help the common people “help themselves”, becoming a philanthropist after selling his steel holdings to J.P. Morgan for $480 million. In his book “Wealth”, he outlined his belief that the wealthy were morally responsible for the rest of society, warning his peers that “the man who dies thus rich dies disgraced”. He donated over 40 million dollars to over 2500 public libraries, 1600 in in America, and the rest worldwide in Africa, Europe, and Australia, in a time when there were no public library system. Another 125 million dollars was given to help schools and colleges. In addition, he also helped establish numerous buildings and institutions, with just a few of the most notable being Carnegie-Mellon University, Carnegie Hall, and Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. At the time of his death in 1919, Carnegie had donated around 90 percent of his fortune to helping better America, and the world.

Choice - JFK     

John F. Kennedy led America through a lot of hard times. He led us through the Cold War with the Soviet Union, a time in which neither country trusted the other. During this time both countries made very large amounts of nuclear weapons. There were times in which things could have ended in disaster or war such as in Cuba or Berlin. But Kennedy made it his mission to avoid this. He brought the ‘New Frontier to the American people which wasn't more land but a new way of thinking. The idea was that people could solve problems themselves if they only worked together.

One of the first things Kennedy did during his term was to create the Peace Corps, (which is still around today) so that Americans could volunteer where help was needed, such as in education, farming, healthcare and construction, throughout the world. This program gained the respect of many other countries and now other counties have modeled their programs off of the Peace Corps. Kennedy was also the first president to ask Congress to approve more than $22 billion dollars for the Apollo project, with the goal to have American astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.

During his term the civil rights movement broke out. Before Kennedy was even president the Supreme Court had ruled that segregation and racial discrimination would be ended in all American schools. But in many states mostly in the south this law was not being followed. There were many peaceful protests but Kennedy never got involved, thinking the protest would only anger more white Americans and make it more difficult for him to convince the members of congress who opposed the law to vote for it. But then on June 11, 1963, Kennedy decided that it was time to stand up and show what his beliefs were. He presented a new civil rights bill to Congress and went on T.V. asking the American people to end racism. He made it clear to everyone that everyone regardless of skin color, should be able to enjoy a happy life in the United States.

Choice - Carl Sagan     

Carl Sagan, in addition to being the preeminent atmospheric and planetary scientist of the 20th Century, ushered in the era of human space exploration and created a new generation of scientists by inspiring millions of budding thinkers around the world and throughout his career. Sagan was the first to document that extreme temperatures on the planet Venus are likely due to a runaway greenhouse effect, as well as the existence of complex hydrocarbons on Saturn’s moon Titan. these discoveries have proven instrumental in understanding the effects of climate change on Earth and advancing the search for extraterrestrial biological processes respectively. In addition, Carl Sagan’s television program Cosmos, which has been viewed by more than one billion people over the past four decades, has been touted by such thinkers as Neil deGrasse Tyson as the reason for the latest generation of scientific thinkers. Sagan’s stirring oratory, ability to relate scientific ideas to the collective human consciousness, and realistically optimistic worldview continue to inspire us to his day, as the Carl Sagan Foundation continues the mission of his namesake in attempting to preserve scientific thought and curiosity in American society and in human society.

Lastly but certainly not least, Sagan oversay nearly every NASA mission to the outer solar system from the early 1970’s until his death, most importantly the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions. These spacecraft remain the only manmade objects to leave our solar system and each carry with them an identical golden record, fashioned after the vinyl records of the mid-20th Century. These records document Earthly life, as well as human knowledge, culture, and common experience for any spacefaring civilization that may come across them. The records, by our best estimates, will be preserved and will remain intelligible for at least the next billion years. By any reasonable conjecture, these records are likely to be mankind’s most enduring legacy, and their creator our most enduring hero. Carl sagan is not only the most influential figure of American history, but may well prove the most influential in human history.

To experience for yourself Sagan’s ability to inspire and excite: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PN5JJDh78I

For more information regarding NASA’s golden record project:

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html

Villain - John Wilkes Booth     

This is what our team will lead too...free hugs

#goals

Reilly and the Rowdies

Reilly and the Rowdies:
 Sophie Ross, Kaia Johnson, Regan McQuain, Izzy White, Ana Blazevic, Eden Justi

Draft:
Thomas Jefferson & Andrew Jackson
Ronald Reagan
Boss Tweed
John Marshall
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Edison
Lee/ Schwarzkopf
Susan B. Anthony
Thurgood Marshall

Andrew Jackson

Ana Blazevic

Andrew Jackson was known for wanting to represent the common man, and became a national hero at New Orleans, and defeating the British. He is known as one of the most influential political figures in between 1820-1830, and became the leader of the democratic party. Supported by the Secretary of State, John Quincy Adams, Jackson was also able to acquire Florida in 1821. Andrew Jackson was known as the first frontier president, and contributed towards the political power shift from the East, to the West. Andrew Jackson is very well known for dismantling the 2nd bank of the United States in 1832, and was able to handle South Carolina and the Nullification Crisis. Besides being known as the 7th president, Andrew Jackson will be remembered for his many achievements throughout his presidency.

Thomas Jefferson

Eden Justi

Thomas Jefferson’s extremely large role in american politics began during the revolution, during which he played an active part in opposing british rule. Jefferson was appointed to the second Continental Congress and was later chosen to write the Declaration of Independence, one of the most important documents in American history. He became the country’s first secretary of state under George Washington, and later the foreign minister to France. Jefferson was an anti-federalist, and his election as president in 1800 paved the way for the eventual dissipation of the federalist party. Despite this, his time as president did not exactly reflect this defined stance. Jefferson exercised his executive power in order to acquire the Louisiana territory. This acquisition doubled the size of the United States and led to later westward expansion. In addition, Jefferson was a champion of the common yeoman farmer, and dreamed of a United States built on a self sufficient, agrarian economy. He was often seen in slippers, and did not practice many official formalities, such as taking a horse drawn carriage to the presidential inauguration.

Robert E. Lee

By Regan McQuain

Although leader of the infamous Confederate Army, Robert E. Lee is by far the most influential general, along with Schwarzkopf. He was  admitted to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated 2nd in class of 1828. Not to mention, he won three brevets for gallantry in the 1846 war with Mexico, and emerged with the rank of colonel. From 1852-1855, Lee served as Superintendent of West Point, educating many of the men who would later serve under him and against him in the Civil War.  He was commander of the Army of Northern Virginia and under his direction it became the most famous and successful of the Confederate Armies Lee was recognized as the Virginian General-in-Chief of all Confederate forces, Lee chose the wise decision to surrender and spare the lives of thousands of his own men as well as Grant’s at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the Civil War.  He will forever be remembered as a brilliant and respected American General.

Norman Schwarzkpof

By Regan McQuain

Norman Schwarzkpof began his military career in the Vietnam War. He refused to leave his own men, even when injured, and spent much of his time training Southern Vietnamese combat skills so they would have the ability to defend themselves, without US help. His bravery and honor earned him 3 silverstars and 2 purple hearts. After the war, he held various military and diplomatic roles eventually elevating himself to the rank of general. He never took an advance or surrender for granted, always continuing to push harder at the enemy. Schwarzkpof spearheaded Operation Desert Storm, lasting only 4 days, often called the “100 hour War”. He executed a policy of continual bombing and massive amounts of US and UN troops entering the middle east which eventually lead to Hussain’s surrender in 1991. His strategies during the Persian Gulf War, while basic, were some of the most effectives, and some still used to this day in the wars in the Middle East.

Abraham Lincoln

By Izzy White

Abraham Lincoln was the most influential president and quite arguably the most influential figure in United States history. His hatred of the idea of secession and his willingness to use force to preserve the Union prevented the US from falling apart during the Civil War and established the precedent for a strong federal government that would allow the US to thrive. He was the man that on January 1, 1863, issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared free slaves within the Confederacy and his actions would pave the way for the eventual abolition of slavery throughout the nation. His passion and motivation for preserving the US as well as his shrewd military strategy and skillful leadership makes this man far surpass any other American leader in history.

   

Thurgood Marshall

By Izzy White

Thurgood Marshall was the Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court from 1967-1991 and the first African-American justice. He was extremely influential in ending racial segregation, especially when he successfully argued against racial segregation in schools in the Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court in 1954. While total enforcement of the ruling proved difficult, the case provided the legal basis for the Civil Rights Movement. It also established Marshall as one of the most important and successful lawyers in the US. Marshall stands alongside MLK Jr. and Malcolm X as one of the most important leaders in the Civil Rights Movement. While he may be the least publicly celebrated of the three, he was arguably the most influential in the fight for racial equality. His third way of fighting for equality was fighting legally through the courts, and this was the way proved the most influential. After Marshall's death, his obituary read: "We make movies about Malcolm X, we get a holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, but every day we live with the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall."

John Marshall

By Sophie Ross

 

John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1801 to 1835. His court opinions helped lay the basis for United States constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the United States a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches. The longest-serving Chief Justice and the fourth longest-serving justice in U.S. Supreme Court history, Marshall dominated the Court for over three decades and played a significant role in the development of the American legal system. Most notably, he reinforced the principle that federal courts are obligated to exercise judicial review, by disregarding purported laws if they violate the constitution. Thus, Marshall cemented the position of the American judiciary as an independent and influential branch of government. Furthermore, Marshall's court made several important decisions relating to federalism, affecting the balance of power between the federal government and the states during the early years of the republic. In particular, he repeatedly confirmed the supremacy of federal law over state law, and supported an expansive reading of the enumerated powers.Marshall built up the third branch of the federal government, and augmented federal power in the name of the Constitution, and the rule of law. Marshall. In his 34-year tenure, Marshall gave it the energy, weight, and dignity of a third co-equal branch. Marshall's Court brought to life the constitutional standards of the new nation. Marshall used Federalist approaches to build a strong federal government over the opposition of the Jeffersonian Democrats, who wanted stronger state governments.His influential rulings reshaped American government, making the Supreme Court the final arbiter of constitutional interpretation. The Marshall Court struck down an act of Congress in only one case (Marbury v. Madison in 1803) but that established the Court as a center of power that could overrule the Congress, the President, the states, and all lower courts if that is what a fair reading of the Constitution required. He also defended the legal rights of corporations by tying them to the individual rights of the stockholders, thereby ensuring that corporations have the same level of protection for their property as individuals had, and shielding corporations against intrusive state governments. Some of the most notable cases include: Marbury v. Madison, Fletcher v. Peck, McCulloch v. Maryland, Cohens v. Virginia, and Gibbons v. Ogden.  


Ronald Reagan
By Kaia Johnson


The Reagan Revolution, aimed to re-energize the American people and make them more self - sufficient, relying less on the government for support. Reagan’s campaign pledge was to restore "the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.", and in many ways, he did. When he ran for the presidency,Reagan won by a wide margin of popular support, winning 489 electoral votes to 49 for President Jimmy Carter.On January 20, 1981, Reagan took office. His determination and maturity after a subsequent attempt at his assassination caused his popularity to rise significantly. Dealing skillfully with Congress, Reagan obtained legislation to stimulate economic growth, reduce inflation, heighten employment rates, and boost national military defense. He embarked upon a course of cutting taxes and Government expenditures, refusing to deviate from it when the strengthening of defense forces led to a large deficit.A renewal of national self-confidence by 1984 helped Reagan and Bush win a second term with an unprecedented number of electoral votes. Their victory turned away Democratic challengers Walter F. Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro.In 1986 Reagan obtained an overhaul of the income tax code, which eliminated many deductions and exempted millions of people with low incomes. At the end of his administration, the Nation was enjoying its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity without recession or depression.In foreign policy, Reagan sought to achieve "peace through strength." During his two terms he increased defense spending 35 percent, but sought to improve relations with the Soviet Union.In dramatic meetings with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, he negotiated a treaty that would eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles. Reagan declared war against international terrorism, sending American bombers against Libya after evidence came out that Libya was involved in an attack on American soldiers in a West Berlin nightclub.By ordering naval escorts in the Persian Gulf, he maintained the free flow of oil during the Iran-Iraq war. In keeping with the Reagan Doctrine, he gave support to anti-Communist insurgencies in Central America, Asia, and Africa. All in all, The Reagan years saw a resurgence of prosperity, and the ideal of “peace through strength” seemed to be within grasp.

Susan B. Anthony

Ana Blazevic

Susan B. Anthony grew up in a politically active family, only boosting her motivation to speak up, and be heard. She started with supporting anti-slavery movements, and even the temperance movement. Shockingly her interest to give women the right to vote emerged when she was denied to speak at a temperance convention. This encouraged her to continue, and support the women rights movement. Susan B. Anthony also found the National Women Suffrage Association, and traveled all over the country giving speeches to encourage more women. Although Susan B. Anthony passed away before the 20th amendment was passed, the US Treasury Department acknowledged her hard work, and even placed her face on a one dollar coin. Susan B. Anthony is still credited today for her achievements in the women's rights movement, and will forever remain a sole supporter for women's rights.


Boss Tweed
By Kaia Johnson

Boss Tweed rose to be the most powerful, and likely the most dishonest, manipulative, and greedy political figure in Tammany Hall in the later 1850s. (Tammany Hall was New York’s political machine.) By the mid 1860s, Tweed had risen to the top of the organization and created the corrupt “Tweed Ring,”. The Tweed Ring’s crimes include but are not limited to openly buying  votes, encouraging bribery and corruption within the justice system, stealing millions of dollars from city contracts, and dominating and manipulating New York City politics, often not for the good of the people. IN 1871 Tweed and his band of scoundrels used substantial political funds to remodel the courthouse in an extravagant display of corruption. Exposed by cartoonist Nast, and the New York Times, their corrupt reign had finally begun to peter out. All of Tweed’s mischevious and greedy cronies were soon after found guilty and fittingly sentenced to prison. Tweed was no exception, sentenced to time in prison for forgery and larceny, among other extensive charges. In 1875 he made one last attempt to escape from his much deserved fate, running away from prison to Cuba, and then Spain. However, Thomas Nast’s cartoons came to the rescue. In 1876, Tweed was caught arrested by Spanish police, who recognized him from Nast’s well known depictions. Tweed’s importance as a villain of America’s history is not only what he did, but it’s implications. He may not have been the first to buy votes, or court rulings, but he certainly did it with more pomp and sheer magnitude than any had before him. Tweed set a dangerous precedent of dishonesty, and greed being acceptable in politics. Tweed showed the type of all consuming power that corruption and greed can bring, and wet the appetites of future liars and deceivers. Even in modern day politics, dishonestly and scandal is not uncommon. It is hard to know how Washington might function had its system and honor not been tarnished and laid waste to by the haunting spirit of greed, or should I say, Tweed, that can so easily slip into the hearts of humans.

Thomas Edison
by Reilly Webster

More than any other individual, Thomas Edison was credited with building the framework for modern technology and society in the age of electricity. In his 84 years, Thomas Edison had amassed a record 1,093 patents: 389 for electric light and power, 195 for the phonograph, 150 for the telegraph, 141 for storage batteries and 34 for the telephone. He also created the world’s first industrial research laboratory. By the time he was in his 30s, Edison had become one of the most famous men in the world. In addition to his talent for invention, Edison was also a successful manufacturer and businessman who was highly skilled at marketing his inventions–and himself–to the public. His rise from poor, uneducated railroad worker to one of the most famous men in the world made him a folk hero, and he left behind the legacy of a man preoccupied with striving towards a better society by creating better innovations for the business world and our economy.

The Botchev Impersonators

John C Calhoun

Born March 18, 1782 from South Carolina, was John Caldwell Calhoun. Prior to his rise to power, Calhoun was a leader Warhawk that lead the unprepared nation into the war of 1812. Calhoun was a firm states rights supporter and believed states rights, along with nullification and limited government were the only ways to preserve the union. He demonstrated these views with his beginning of the Nullification crisis and support of the despised Tariff of Abomination. Calhoun provided intense defenses of the peculiar institution and viewed it as a positive aspect of society. Calhoun's explicit states rights views as whole resulted in him pointing the south to secession from the Union and therefore beginning the destructive civil war.

Jane Addams

Born on September 6, 1860, famous social activist and pacifist Jane Addams would later become one of America’s most famous women. In 1889, Addams and her friend founded the Hull House in Chicago--a prominent American settlement house, mostly for immigrants. The house also provided for the less fortunate in Chicago. As time passed, the Hull House would also provide for children, a public education, and a public kitchen. Addams firmly condemned war and poverty, and was the first female president of the National Conference of Social Work, and was also elected the president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. In addition, she established the National Federation of Settlements, and for her actions, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. Her influence on American society is frequently still seen today.

Earl Warren

As Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren led his court to a series of unprecedented decisions, all of which propelled forward the civil rights movement and revolutionized the Supreme Court. In his most well known decision, Brown v Board of Education, Warren single handedly crafted a compromise to end segregation in public schools and please his fellow judges. He won the unanimity to overturn the decision of Plessy v Ferguson and won one of the biggest civil rights victories in American History. He kept all civil rights cases unanimous and decided the groundbreaking cases of Gideon v Wainwright (criminals get publicly funded counsel), Powell v Alabama (free counsel to defendants), and Miranda v Arizona (Miranda Rights), all of which improved the rights of criminals and push forward the civil rights movement. His term as Chief Justice was full of progressive decisions on civil rights, criminal justice, and the Separation of church and state. His decisions and the unanimity he achieved shaped the course of civil rights and criminal justice in America until today.

Eli Whitney

Eli Whitney’s early life was pretty boring… so I’m going to skip to his inventions.  At the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century, Whitney introduced the concept of interchangeable parts to the United States.  You think Henry Ford is the father of assembly line production?  Think again.  Interchangeable parts revolutionized the assembly system of numerous products, most notably rifles.  It allowed for cheaper, more reliable production for the same end result.  In addition to interchangeable parts, Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin could be attributed as one of the leading causes of the Civil War (albeit indirect).  Allowing for much more efficient cotton cleaning, the cotton gin revitalized slavery just as it was starting to lose steam, and caused a push for expanding slavery into the new territories.  These two landmark inventions drastically affected the course of American history for the rest of the century, and spurred one of the greatest conflicts in American history.

Muhammad Ali

Being one of the most iconic professional sports figures in American history, Muhammad Ali did much more than just win the heavyweight title three times. Ali was a shining light for blacks who were being discriminated against and showed that race didn’t matter. His social fight, however, did not end at the color of his skin. Seeing as how the Vietnam war directly conflicted with his religious beliefs, he refused his draft orders. As a result of this he was arrested for four years and had his boxing titles rescinded. Eventually his case made it to the supreme court where he was released. Ali’s Fight against social injustice not only made him an icon for race discrimination, but also for the rising counterculture.

Theodore Roosevelt

When the name Teddy (Theodore) Roosevelt is spoken, most think of the iconic Teddy Bear, when in reality his name means so much more. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt did many amazing things, and was the 26th president of the united states to boot. He was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation during the Russo Japanese war.  He made our navy much more powerful, a necessity that would come in handy during the world war. Our navy was upgraded during the years of his administration, and its power was key in securing U.S. interests in regards to negotiations both in the Americas and outside the Americas. On top of that, he took massive steps towards protecting the environment, and basically created the modern conservation movement. Yet he was no hippie. He may have spared a bear or two, but some of the other animals that encountered him met a different fate. On top of all that, he had a degree from Harvard in Biology, took up boxing in college, was commissioner of the NYPD, served as a “Rough Riders”, and governor of New York; all before he became president. So if you are looking for awesome, here is awesome. This man lived a life like no other. His square deal and progressive reforms would shape America for years to come.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Bailey, was born on a plantation in Maryland. As a child, he was taught how to read and write by the plantation master's wife. He later was able to escape with help from his wife and became one of the most well-known abolitionist speakers of all time. He effectively used his past experiences as a slave as a first-hand account of the horrors and abominations that were taking place in the South. In 1882 he published his autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, which detailed the life and experiences of a slave. He later traveled to Britain and Ireland to talk about abolition, but when he returned he began to publish an antislavery newspaper called The North Star. Douglass also was able to write many letters to President Lincoln as well as meet with him on multiple occasions, where he discussed making slavery illegal as well as arming freed slaves to fight in the war. Frederick Douglass also had huge influence after the war in the Reconstruction Era, where he fought for the rights of both African American freedmen and the women's movement of the time. He was also assistant secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission, 
marshal and recorder of deeds in D.C., and U.S. advisor to Haiti.

George Washington

As the first President of the United States, George Wahington shaped the executive office and America for the next 2 centuries. He set many precedents followed by almost every other President including the 2 term limit. According to many historians, he “invented tradition as he went along” and his actions became part of the “unwritten constitution”. He set the precedent for a Presidential Cabinet with Cabinet heads chosen by the President. He also started what would come to be known as Executive Privelige. One of his major contributions was putting down the Whiskey Rebellion and showing that Federal Law was supreme and stronger than state law, and demonstrating that the Federal Government had the power to levy taxes and raise an army. His restraint and nonpartisan stance created an image of Presidential grandeur which would last until today. He could’ve been a king, but refused and saved our Republic.

John Adams 
Some of you might not remember his name, probably because so many of his relatives were also politicians, but his son John Quincy Adams (a later president himself) and his second cousin Sam Adams. He was a dissident of the british, in that he strongly opposed the unfair taxation by the lobsters (british). He was also a man of courage, who stood by his beliefs. He believed in fair trial, and after the boston massacre, he represented the british soldiers in court, despite the grievances of the crown. Six were acquited, and none were charged with murder. This shows deep moral courage, because he feared that representing them would have consequences. Eisenhower:Born in October 14th, 1890 Dwight D. Eisenhower was a Spectacular General who was able to play politics very well during the second world war. He thrashed the Nazi’s starting with the D-Day invasions starting with Normandy. He made a very inspirational speech before the invasion to influence the soldiers to fight. After the war he was elected into the Oval Office in 1953, making him the 34th president. As president he launched a interstate highway project, DARPA which led to many new innovations and was able to rally support for the use of nuclear energy for infrastructural use. He also had his hand in the Civil Rights movements, later on. He was reluctant at first to step in, even being called racist but he later had a big hand in the Little Rock High School where he used executive powers to break down a strike preventing students of African American descent from attending the school by calling in the National Guard against the state troops. Which later was resolved by the court case Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. Eisenhower also appointed Earl Warren to be the supreme court justice after the Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson kicked the bucket. At the end of his presidency he warned of the terrors of the military industrial complex.