We Stacked

Alexander Hamilton

Throughout the course of history, Alexander Hamilton proved to be one of the most important and influential individuals not only in the United States, but in the entire world. Although he never attained the highest office of his newly independent country, no other America founder influenced its political system as much as Hamilton. Before the United States even gained its independence, Hamilton played a monumental role in the Revolutionary War where he served as lieutenant colonel of the Continental Army. Following the war, Hamilton was the first New York delegate chosen to the Constitutional Convention. He played a significant role in erecting the Constitution of the United States, which still lives and governs American society today. Following the convention, in 1787, the Constitution had to make it through the large barrier of being ratified by the states, which is no easy task as many people living in the United States opposed the document. Hamilton led a trio including John Jay and James Madison, writing a total of 80 essays, 51 himself, in an attempt to persuade the public to accept and ratify the Constitution. These were called the Federalist Papers. As a result, due to Hamilton’s brilliance and great work ethic, the Constitution was ratified. Without Hamilton, the Constitution very well may have not have been ratified, and today, we would still be governed by the atrocious Articles of Confederation, if the United States even existed. That’s right, Hamilton laid the foundations of American democracy today into place. Once the Constitution was accepted, Hamilton was appointed the first U.S Secretary of the Treasury by George Washington. During this time, Hamilton created the national bank, which still exists and plays a monumental role in society today. Furthermore, Hamilton laid the foundations of assumption of state debt, which also is very relevant today. With no doubt, Hamilton’s influence on the United States cannot be understated.

Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine manifested to be a very influential person and played a monumental role on the development of the United States. His most important accomplished proved to be his pamphlet Common Sense. This pamphlet, labeled by many as the most influential pamphlet ever written, pushed the Americans into war and rushed patriotic feelings into many of those who did not completely (or not at all) support the revolutionary war. Furthermore, Paine pushed for the creation of a new kind of political society, a republic, where power flowed from the people themselves, not from a corrupt and despotic monarch. As a result, Paine laid the foundations of American government with his pamphlet. Without the pamphlet, the colonies would surely not have won their independence from Great Britain, and today, we would still be under British control.

Malcolm X

Elizabeth Katy Stanton

FDR

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency would be one of the most important presidency’s in the history of the United States. He was elected President in the midst of the great depression forcing him into a position demanding a powerful leader to take over the country. Franklin Delano Roosevelt would be just the guy the United States was looking for despite being crippled by polio he created the FDIc to restore faith in the banks marking one of the first steps in getting the economy back on track. Roosevelt also instituted an alphabet soup of unemployment programs to help solve the unemployment program in the United States. However, Roosevelt was not done yet. When the United States was bombed at Pearl Harbor he would be the perfect man for the job as he was secretary of the Navy during the first World War.  Roosevelt immediately declared war on Japan and declared December 7, 1941 “ A day that will live in infamy”. The rest of Roosevelt’s life would be focused on the war efforts as he elected to remain in office for a third term, because he felt that it was no time for America to have a new president.

MacArthur

General Douglas MacArthur is one of the greatest and most influential Americans of all time. Today he remains the most decorated individual to wear the uniform of the US Army. He graduated top of his class at West Point and went on to win 10 services medals in WWI and was nominated for the Medal of Honor twice throughout his military career, winning it once. During WWI he was known as the The Kid General because he was exceptionally young for a General. He was also the only General that lead his troops in the field of battle, where he survived two mustard gas attacks. After WWI he went back to West Point and executed an athletic reformation, in which athletics were integrated into the curriculum. He is known as the father of Modern West Point. He later served as Chief of Staff for Hoover and FDR in his first term where he helped organize the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was a new Deal program that put tens of thousands of young men back into the workforce. After his career in Washington he moved to the Philippines as defensive coordinator for the Filipino forces. His efforts on the Philippines stalled the Japanese invasion drastically. His efforts in the Philippines were rewarded with the Medal of Honor. MacArthur formulated the American strategy in the Pacific known as Island Hopping. After the war he rebuilt and democratized Japan. In 1948 he came back to America where he served as an advisor to Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. He is one the only five men to reach the rank of a Five Star General, and he is the greatest among those men.

Powell

General Colin Powell is one of the most honorable and influential men to serve the United States of America. He enlisted in the Army in the during college. Shortly after he was shipped to Vietnam where he was awarded 11 military decorations. He went on to serve in a fellowship under Nixon for a year. In the 1980s he was Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense to Reagan and Bush. Bush named him the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff in 1989, the highest rank in the Department of Defense. He became the youngest and the first black person to attain this position. He was almost awarded a fifth star by the Clinton administration but it never went through. In the 1990s Powell earned his nickname, “the reluctant warrior”, because he never favored military intervention as the first option. His approach to international conflict became known as the “ Powell Doctrine”, in which the US would use overwhelming force to maximize success and minimize casualties. Powell spearheaded operations like those that removed Noriega from power and killed Saddam Hussein. After Powell’s chairmanship he became Bush’s (W) Secretary of State. Today Powell has less of a presence in Washington. He puts most of his energy toward his nonprofit organization America’s Promise, an organization that assist young people of all socioeconomic levels to get an educations

Henry Ford

How do you get to school everyday, that's right you drive. You can thank Henry Ford that you don't have to walk everywhere you go. Henry Ford commercialized cars in America by making them cheap and reliable so that every American could enjoy the new transportation machine. Not only was he a great entrepreneur, but he also developed  a transportation economy that lasts today. Advanced road systems including stores and gas stations were needed that stimulated the economy while connecting America. Not only did he revolutionize the car industry but he also reinvented the factory system. Ford focused on making very simple colors and products that everyone would like that was also cheaply made. Just think where you would be without a car and then remember Ford.

Henry Clay

Although he has a scary portrait Henry Clay is known as the Great Compromiser, and for good reason. He almost single handedly stopped the separation of the Union for 40 years. In 1820 he drew up the plan known as the Missouri Compromise where he saved the Union by keeping the slave state to free state balanced. He saved the Union again in 1850 when he led the Compromise of 1850 once again keeping both the South and North happy. He did this at age 73 while he was sick delivering over 70 speeches, what a savage. He also created the American Plan that greatly enhanced the American economy by creating strong national banks, a well made transportation system as well as tariffs to protect American made products. This plan has greatly influenced America up until today by outlining a strong economy.

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe influenced the the moral values of more people in american history than any has ever done or will ever do. In her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, she gained vast support for the northern cause in the civil war. Her book portrayed the horrific inhumane life of a slave. Because of this book, a wide revelation swept across America and the world. People in the north felt sympathy for the slaves in the south and tensions between the two regions dramatically increased. Abraham Lincoln told Stowe, “So you're the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war”. The north would not have had the fiery motivation it had without Stowe writing Uncle Tom’s Cabin to motivate them. This book also motivated nations abroad. The south reached out for foreign support but received none. A great deal of that rejection is due to Uncle Tom’s Cabins sales abroad. Many people in Great Britain read this book and began to despise the slaveholding south. Without Harriet Beecher Stowe, the North may not have won the Civil War.

Joseph McCarthy