people final

Benedict Arnold

British Colonel in the Revolution who led the attack with a group of rebels and captured Fort Ticonderoga in New York, was known for being the “American Judas” or a “Turncoat” because he betrayed his people

Crispus Attucks

First man killed in the Boston Massacre and in the Revolution, was also black and was named a martyr

Stephan Austin

“Father of Texas,” was an empresario who brought the first 300 families to Texas, fulfilling his father’s wish and was a commander of the texian army during the texas revolution and  was a leader in their fight for independence

Aaron Burr

Jefferson’s first Vice President and big rival of Hamilton, he challenged and won the duel after he lost his bid for the governor of New York. Ran for presidency in 1800 with running mate Thomas Jefferson. Instead of him letting his running mate have the presidency, he was greedy and took it for himself and breaking their deal.

Henry Clay

“The Great Compromiser,” Secretary of State under John Quincey Adams, author of the American System, “War hawk” with John C. Calhoun during the Revolution, rival to Andrew Jackson (especially in the Corrupt Bargain), helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent, ran for presidency a lot but never got it

David Crockett

Tennessee congressmen who led forces in the Texas Revolution and one of the few survivors of the Battle of the Alamo, but was executed outside the walls of the Alamo. Also spoke out against Jackson during the Indian Removal Act

Fredrick Dougless

Black abolitionist who escaped from slavery in Maryland and got in with Garrison and the Liberator, and advocated for the end of slavery. Advised Lincoln, “champion of freedom and equality” or “voice of abolition" and helped improve African American rights. Wrote his own autobiography and began his own newspaper The North Star

Benjamin Franklin

Founding father, negotiator for France and the “embodiment of the enlightenment”, Franklin was a well-rounded inventor and author. He helped draft the Constitution and later signed it, then he was sent to France to persuade them to help America in the war (they loved him) and later went back to negotiate the Treaty of Paris. He was the only person to sign the Declaration, the Constitution, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the Treaty of Paris, and was from Pennsylvania

Nathan Hale

Soldier in the continental army who volunteered to spy behind the British lines in Long Island. He was discovered and later hung, but is remembered for becoming a symbol of martyrdom and patriotism in the War, as well as one fo the first intelligence persons

Alexander Hamilton

Called the convention to amend the Articles of Confederation, was a strong Federalist Leader, Founding Father, Co-Author of the Federalist Papers, First Secretary of Treasury, made the plan for the Second Constitutional Convention, wrote three reports addressing the economic problems and heir solutions after the Revolution, and wrote persuasive essays (especially about the Whisky Rebellion) under the pen name “Tully.” He engaged in a duel with Burr that killed him

Thomas Jefferson

Author of the Declaration, Founding Father, Author of the Ordinances of 1784 (Northwest Ordinances) and 3rd president of America, Anti-Federalist, Vice President under John Adams. Sent Lewis and Clark to explore, founded the University of Virginia. known for his controversial opinions on slavery, as he wrote the Declaration but had over 300 slaves. He fathered children with one slave named Sally Hemings, and only freed a couple during his life or in his will

James Madison

Author/Father of the Constitution and Author of the Bill of Rights, Co-author of the Federalists Papers, strong Federalist, 4th president, Secretary of State. he heavily pushed the idea to tax the states in the new government. During the Second Convention, he took very meticulous notes, and it is the only reason we know what went on in the room during the writing of the Constitution. He offered the Virginia Plan during the debates of representation, led the US in the War of 1812, white house was burned during is presidency, shortest president

James Polk

“Dark Horse” candidate in the election of 1844 and won it, a slaveholder from Tennessee, elected president in 1844 because he promised to annex Texas as a new slave state and get Oregon (manifest destiny). His slogan was “54’40 or fight” which was in the end denied, the British wanted to make it 42 however the agreement became 49 (giving us Oregon) which is the current border between the US and Canada. He fulfilled his promise by gaining Oregon and provoking a war with Mexico that ultimately led to America reaching from the Atlantic to Pacific–fulfilling campaign goals and representing American expansion ideals

Zachery Taylor

12th President and Whig president, general in the Mexican-American War, and he encouraged California and New Mexico to draft constitutions for statehood, setting the way for the Compromise of 1850, as free states. He later died while in office. As general, he took control of northern mexico, Polk promoting him to the commander of all US forces and was a hero in the war. As president, he wanted to diffuse tensions about slavery as much as possible. “Old Rough and Ready”. Had no prior political experience, and second president to die in office

George Washington

Commander of the Continental Army, Founding Father, First President of the United States, and President of Continental Convention. Debuted his leadership in the French and Indian war (Seven Year’s War). He was called from retirement after Shay’s Rebellion to come help amend the Articles of Confederation and presided over the 1787 Constitutional Convention. He was a role model for many, including the new republic. His support for the Constitution was instrumental because of his influence. He compared himself to the Roman aristocrat Cincinnatus, a representative of the patrician or ruling class, who had also retired from public service in the Roman Republic and returned to his estate to pursue agricultural life

John Wilkes Booth

Assassinator of Abraham Lincoln and famous stage actor, was found 12 days later and hung with other conspirators, Confederate sympathizer

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederacy and led the South in the war, was a Senator and Secretary of War before the war and participated in the Mexican-American War

Stephan Douglas

Illinois Senator who encouraged the five bills of the Compromise of 1850 and came up with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, hoping this would help him later become president. Was famous for the Lincoln-Douglas Debates for the Illinois Senate spot, and the debates that defined the national debate over slavery—and he supported popular sovereignty in the KN Acts. Lincoln’s political rival and called “Little Giant”---and created the Freeport Doctrine

Ulysses Grant

Union general in the Civil War who led our army to victory–”Army of the West.” He defeated Lee at the Appomattox Courthouse and forced him surrender. Later in his political career, President replaced Secretary of War Stanton with Grant, ut grant resigned and sided with the Radical Republicans, an action that encouraged them to take action against Johnson and it led to his removal from office. He won the election for presidency in 1868 and became President–and in his presidency the 14th and 15th amendments were passed, granting citizenship and the right to vote to new citizens/blacks. After his second term though the Republicans grip began to slip

Rutherford B. Hayes

Was elected republican President in the rigged election of 1876, where Tilden and Hayes split electoral votes, so they made a deal and the 20 extra votes went to Hayes—but only if he removed the Union soldiers from the South and money would be given to internal improvement funds. He supported “hard money”

Thomas Jackson

“Stonewall” Jackson was a Confederate general who got his nickname at the Battle of Bull Run, or Manassas. He was later killed after he got pneumonia and had a shot from friendly fire

Andrew Johnson

Vice President under Lincoln and President after he died, and he was also almost killed. He was chosen to run for the VP for pragmatacy, because he was a democratic slaveholding Tennessee man. In his Presidency, his plan for Reconstruction was to leniently let the South back in, which upset many of the Radical Republicans. He was successfully impeached after he violated the Tenure of Office Act, but was not acquitted.

Robert E. Lee

Commanded Federal troops to stop the Browns in Bleeding Kansas, and was later a Confederate General in Civil War. When Virginia joined the Confederacy, it pushed Lee to as well–he was one of the government’s best military commander at the time and was a loss. After his defeat he surrendered to Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse

Abraham Lincoln

Issued the “Spot Resolutions” as Senator of Illinois, lost the 7 Lincoln-Dougless Debates, but became president in 1860 (his name was blocked on most of the Southern ballots), which inspired those in the South who desired sectionalism to make their decisions in fear of the outlaw of slavery. He led the Union through the Civil War and freed slaves with the Emancipation Proclamation and led the Gettysburg Address, and to encourage expansion west passed the Homestead and Pacific Railway Act. Was killed by John Wilkes Booth in Ford’s Theatre

George McClellan

First Union general in the Civil War, he believed that the Confederate soldiers were too strong and was reluctant to send them to battle. Lincoln and Stanton ordered him to invade the Confederacy by invading their capitol Richmond. He was replaced by Lincoln for being too cautious in the war and Grant later took his place. He also ran for presidency against Lincoln in 1864

George Meade

General who commanded Union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg who failed to pursue Lee’s forces but continued to command the Potomac Army until the end of the war

Hiram Revels

The first African American Senator and became senator for Mississippi. Was a freeborn man from NC who was a preacher in the Midwest, and later became senator

William Steward

Dealt with international affairs with French and British to not see Confederacy as an independent nation, and made sure ship yards did not build confederate ships–also purchased Alaska

William Tecumseh Sherman

Union General who is known for “Sherman’s march to Sea,” a campaign that utilized Total War, destroying Confederate Morale and infrastructure across Georgia

Edwin Stanton

Lincoln’s Secretary of War during the Civil War and later Johnson’s, he was removed because he aligned himself with the Radical Republicans. He directed the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and helped organize and supply the army in the Civil War