Colin's Gangsta Dudes

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson hugely influenced our political system and his voice can still be heard in politics today. He headed and helped organize the opposition party to the federalists which created permanent political parties, unheard of before this. This tradition of political parties persisted throughout american history and still is in effect. With Madison he led the first large organized movement to limit the central government of the US, in the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. Although Jefferson did not get what he wanted the brilliant formation of the extreme state’s rights view was used by southerners in the nullification crisis and secession. As president he promoted the idea of political parties working together to further America. He famously claimed, “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.” He would not only adhere to his parties ideologies but also adopt federalist policies if it strengthened the nation. He got rid of the excise tax and cut down the federal government's power but left intact much of the Hamiltonian bank system. He also negotiated the landmark Louisiana purchase which set up America for its Western Expansion which helped it define itself as a country. Jefferson overstepped his bounds with the hated embargo which caused the foundations of the government to be rocked by the people. Jefferson found the limit of his power as a president and this limit would not be ignored by future politicians who would take heed of it. Jefferson had a huge impact on our political system still felt today.

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson. A fiery patriot. The perfect sculpture of an American individualist, Andrew Jackson radically transformed the political system, economic foregrounds and emocional structure of America from 1829 to 1837. An already self-made American hero from the battle of New Orleans in 1812, Jackson was picking shrapnel out of his arms while John Quincy Adams went skinny dipping in the Potomac River. During the election of 1828, Jackson headed the Democratic Republican party, founded on the basis of protecting the liberty and freedom of the frontiersman. Jackson destroyed the petty aristocrat with an electoral vote of 178 to 83. At the beginning of his first term, Jackson faced a huge challenge-the Nullification Crisis. Extremely similar to his fellow patriot, Abraham Lincoln, Ol’ Hickory made the preservation of the Union his top priority. Apparently John C Calhoun thought it was a great idea to challenge the administration by threatening secession. Andrew Jackson, threatened to hang the Nullifiers and invade South Carolina. The feeling of sheer terror and discomfort radiated throughout the southern state, while Jacksonians roared on. Jackson also had a huge role in the physical expansion west, with the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Maybe a couple of Indians cried. A little. Jackson’s economic foregrounds pertained to the destruction of the monopolistic big business and banking exploitations. Nicholas Biddle, the president of the National bank was severely challenged by Jackson’s veto when he attempted to pass the recharter bill. Jackson expanded presidential power in a down-to-heart fight for the health of the nation. What Jackson did was revolutionary, especially in Politics. By the end of the era, All white men could vote, and they did, in astounding percentages, electoral college representatives were chosen directly from the public, and the two-party system had been reborn from the Jeffersonian era. Jackson had fundamentally shifted the American perspective of what it means to be an American and how we legislate in the interest of the common man.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X was the most influential Civil Rights leaders.  He was a member of the  Nation of Islam organization, which believed that white society was intentionally keeping African Americans from empowering themselves politically, socially and economically. They also  preached that blacks should fight for a state of their own, separate from the whites. Malcolm X was so successful because he was able to use newspapers, radio and television to spread the Nation of Islam's message. He was driven, and charismatic these characteristics attracted many new people to the nation.  His powerful speeches called for African Americans to stand up against oppressive whites which was the polar opposite of what Martin Luther King was preaching and fighting for.  Malcolm believed that Blacks wouldn’t be handed their freedom they would have to fight for it, his inspirational words convinced many people that total segregation from whites was the only way to achieve freedom.  Even after Malcolm’s assassination his ideals for blacks to fight lived on in the black panther party and other black power organizations

Susan B Anthony

She is best known for spearheading the suffragist movement for women's rights.She was a quaker and worked actively in movements to fight against the consumption of alcohol and slavery.Because she was a woman, she was not allowed to speak at temperance rallies. This experience, and her acquaintance with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, led her to join the women's rights movement in 1852. Soon after, she dedicated her life to woman suffrage.In 1866 Anthony and Stanton founded the American Equal Rights Association and in 1868 they started publishing the newspaper The Revolution in Rochester. She became president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. In 1853, Anthony began to campaign for women's property rights in New York state. She began working as an agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. She is the most influential woman in history and never gave up on her fight for women's suffrage. In 1905, she met with President Theodore Roosevelt in Washington, D.C., to lobby for an amendment to give women the right to vote.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford revolutionized transportation, society and manufacturing in the modern world. Ford’s idea to make a car that was not only affordable to the rich but also the middle class was revolutionary. He paid his workers high wages and improved manufacturing productivity with the assembly line which decreased costs and the time it took to make the cars. By doing this he promoted both mass production and mass consumption.  Through this, he insured that they would be able to afford the cars that they made and therefore expanding his market to a larger number of people, increasing profit. His strength and greatest contribution was his manufacturing process.

John Marshall

John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He is the individual most responsible for establishing the Supreme Court as the final word on what is constitutional and what is not. Before he took office, the supreme court was the weakest branch of government. In the time he spent as chief justice, he vastly increased the powers of the supreme court. He supported a strong centralized government, and, while serving, he made several important court decisions relating to federalism, confirming the supremacy of federal law over state law. While most presidents only stay in office for 4-8 years, John Marshall was changing America for over 3 decades as chief justice of the supreme court, as well as during his 19 year political career prior to appointment. During his political career he was a delegate at the Virginia convention and was responsible for helping fight for ratification of the constitution, was one of the delegates present during the infamous XYZ affair, and served as secretary of state under president John Adams. While serving as Chief Justice, he ruled on many cases, however the one that completely revolutionized the purpose of the supreme court was Marbury v. Madison, in which Marshall invalidated a provision of the Judiciary Act of 1789 on the grounds that it violated the constitution. This established the practice of Judicial review, which grants the supreme court the ability to rule things unconstitutional.

General Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower was a five star general of the United States Army and the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces during World War II. Eisenhower is responsible for the successful planning and execution of the allied invasion of North Africa known as Operation Torch, along with the successful invasions of France, and Germany. After the Allied forces victory in World War II, Eisenhower served as Army Chief of Staff under President Harry Truman. In 1952 Eisenhower entered the presidential race as the Republican candidate and crushed his opponent Adlai Stevenson in a landslide victory. As president, Eisenhower ended the Korean War through the use of nuclear threats. His nuclear deterrence policy gave rise to the mass production of nuclear weapons and consequently the beginning of the arms race between the Soviet Union and the United States. Eisenhower created NASA in response to the Soviet launch of sputnik and he created the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) which led rise to the creation of the internet. Eisenhower sent troops into Little Rock Arkansas to enforce federal court orders to desegregate public schools along with also signing the civil rights legislation in 1957 and 1960. During his presidency The United States prospered economically except for a short recession in 1958. Since the late twentieth century Eisenhower has been regarded by scholars as one of the top 10 presidents and has had a profound effect and influence on the world and the United states.    

John Wilkes Booth

John Wilkes Booth (1838-1865) was the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theater. Before pledging allegiance to the Confederacy, he was an actor. He stopped acting to fight for the Confederacy. After shooting Lincoln, he famously jumped onto the stage, breaking his leg in the process, and yelling, “Sic semper tyrannis!” He then fled and was shot and killed twelve days later in Port Royal, Virginia. Booth’s killing of Lincoln makes him an extremely influential figure in American history. The assassination robbed the nation of the Great Emancipator, the man who was to lead the nation through the fragile process of reconstruction. After Lincoln’s death, the Democratic vice president Andrew Johnson took office. With his Democratic platform, Johnson aimed to punish the South, something Lincoln was against. He made the process of reconstruction long and arduous, resulting in southern resentment that would hold for years. If it was not for John Wilkes Booth, the process of reconstruction would have been painless and seamless under Lincoln’s command.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th president of the United States and the Union’s leader through the Civil War. Before becoming president, Lincoln was a Republican senator for Illinois. Lincoln always kept a calm head, maintaining composure even when times turned grim. Because of his calm head, Lincoln was the president the nation needed during the Civil War. Lincoln emancipated the slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation. He would have passed the proclamation earlier, but he brilliantly realized that doing so would cost him the Border States, and therefore cost him the Union. If Lincoln had made a mistake, the Civil War would have been lost and the Union would have been broken. After the war, Lincoln was willing to be generous with the South. He was flexible with his demands and tried to make for a speedy and peaceful reunification of the nation. Congress was not so lenient, and they attempted to make it more difficult for Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union with the Wade-Davis Bill; however, Lincoln vetoed the bill and implemented his more conservative plan. Lincoln’s plan was noble and would have led to a hasty recovery from the Civil War, but John Wilkes Booth’s assassination of Honest Abe ended the hope for clean unification and began the dirty era of Reconstruction.

Tricky Dix

1. Ronald Reagan
2. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
3. Douglas MacArthur
4. Eli Whitney
5. George Washington
6. John Adams
7. Martin Luther King Jr.
8. Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. John D. Rockefeller
10. William Lloyd Garrison

Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1981. He is best known for believing in individual freedom and bringing a significant amount of change domestically. His two terms were deemed the Reagan Revolution, with it's biggest accomplishment being reinvigorating the American morale. He was very involved in reviving the US economy, with his biggest policy being 'Reaganomics'. He advocated a type of supply-side economics and free-market fiscal policy. Reagan also helped lessen American reliance of big government by promoting a laissez-faire economy. Although he desired to cut government intervention, he kept entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Reagan was also very conservative in many aspects of his beliefs, and many deem that he started the wave of New Conservatism. In 1984, Reagan was reelected as president and was faced with a whole new batch of challenges. In 1982, Reagan announced that America will be starting an official War on Drugs. His policies helped reduce rates of adolescent drug use throughout America. In the mid-1980's, Reagan made a monumental decision to shift his interests to diplomacy with regards to the conflict with Russians occupying Germany. He initiated a series of arms agreements with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. When Reagan made a speech at the Berlin Wall in 1987, he spoke words that will live in infamy: "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" Throughout Reagan's presidency, he influenced many sectors of government, both on the national and international level. Reagan was definitely an extremely influential individual.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton was an abolitionist, suffragist, and truly extraordinary woman. A pioneer challenging the restraints placed on women in the 1800s, her famed Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 is considered to have sparked one of the most significant woman’s rights and woman’s suffrage movements in the United States. Stanton not only demanded the right to vote, but she also sought to better women’s parental and custody rights, property rights, and employment and income rights. With other like-minded feminists at the Convention, Stanton co-authored the daring Declaration of Sentiments, a proclamation which helped spark public debate regarding suffrage. Following the success of Seneca, Stanton organized, attended, and spoke at numerous other conventions. Her intellect, rapier wit, and eloquence drew attention from admirers and dissidents alike, and ultimately advanced her cause. Later, alongside the unwavering Susan B. Anthony, Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association in 1869. Stanton’s relentless determination and her spitfire attitude mark her as one of the most notable feminists in American history, and leave no doubt as to her right to be called “influential.”        

When one thinks of prominent United States Military leaders (and influential Americans), it is but inevitable that General Douglas MacArthur should come to mind. Macarthur not only is one of only five men to ever rise to the rank of a 5-star general, but he also is the only man to ever become a field marshal to the Philippine Army. Talented, brash, and egotistical, MacArthur was raised on multiple military bases by his Army Officer father. Graduating in 1903 at the top of his class from West Point Military Academy, MacArthur continued on to a distinguished military career, which included creating and presiding over an armed force for the Philippines in 1935. In 1942 during WWII, he was declared the supreme commander of Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific, and received a Medal of Honor for his defense of the Philippines. In 1944, after successfully leading troops in an island hopping campaign against the Japanese, MacArthur was promoted to the rank of general of the army and was given control of all of the army forces in the Pacific. In 1945, MacArthur officially accepted Japan’s surrender and oversaw the demilitarization and reconstruction of the country. Later, in 1950, MacArthur commanded a victorious American-led coalition of United Nation Troops in the Korean War before leaving the military in 1951. Today, MacArthur is widely recognized as a remarkable individual, and his mark on American history is irrefutable.

Eli Whitney was born in 1765,  growing up on a Massachusetts farm. During the Revolutionary War he constructed nails to fill the demand caused by British embargos. He was a genius, and observed what people needed. While living in South Carolina, he saw how hard it was to separate the green seeds from the short-staple cotton. In 1973, he developed a machine able to do work 10 times faster than a slave using his hands; the cotton gin. It revolutionized the cotton industry, and was key to the American South’s “cotton Economy”. He also was the reason for the new need for slaves. He discovered arms manufacturing, the idea of machine-made, interchangeable parts, which began what would become known as the "American system" of mass production. Whitney completely revolutionized agriculture with his inventions and at the same time he began the development of American as a super-power. Arms manufacturing will eventually be seen in just about every factory of America. He was the main spark of the industrial revolution, and was the first advocate of technological progress.  

George Washington was led the revolutionary army and helped defeat the British declaring the United States independent. In the Revolutionary War alone, he fought in multiple battles, including victories at Trenton, Princeton and Yorkton. He was also able to escape British forces after he was cornered in New Jersey by intelligently crossing the Delaware River. Washington’s victories at Saratoga helped convince the French to join the war on the side of the United States. Washington’s smart tactics helped defeat or fight off the British multiple times saving America from a total defeat. He also played important roles for the United States in both the French and Indian War and the Quasi War. Washington also set an important standard within the military. The elected officials would have authority over the military rather than officers. Although he had influence, he had to follow the directions of Congress. After the war he also gave up much military power. Washington was the first president of the United States and served two terms. Although he was urged to serve a third term, he declined on the basis that it was too King-like. He wanted to continue the ideas of the revolution by removing the country from a distant King. This set a precedent of two terms for almost 150 years. He attempted to create good relations with foreign nations while keeping American neutrality. He appointed to both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson to his cabinet because of their opposing views. He wanted to represent both sides of the debate in order to have a healthy government. Washington was extremely influential because of his large role in the Revolutionary War and because he was the first president. By being the first he set a precedent for the coming presidents in which he promoted fairness, equality, and integrity.

John Adams was extremely influential in the making of America. Adams became popular in America on the side of the patriot cause. In 1765 he wrote on imposition to the British government fighting the Stamp Act, which he stated deprived Americans from basic rights. Although it went against the patriot cause Adams defended the British soldiers who allegedly killed 5 civilians in the Boston Massacre. He wanted to promote the fact that everyone deserved a fair trial no matter who they were. Adams proposed a legislation that each state set up their own government that would help citizens have a better say in government. He also seconded and continued to back Richard Henry Lee’s proposal of independence. He was also on more committee supporting independence than any other Congressmen. He negotiated the Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War. Adams was also very crucial in mended relations with European nations. Adams played a large and very important role in starting and shaping our new nation.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a gifted speaker, Baptist minister, civil-rights activist, and staunch advocate of nonviolence. He is easily considered the most influential leader of the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s. He fought to destroy Jim Crow segregation laws and eliminate social and economic differences between blacks and whites. King headed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and played a crucial role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the US, in addition to the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 among numerous other honors for his relentless work and dedication to the cause of bettering black lives. He was assassinated in April 1968 and to this day is remembered as one of the most celebrated and admired leaders in history. On August 28, 1963 the historic March on Washington brought more than 200,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial to hear King’s legendary “I Have a Dream” speech, where he eloquently expressed his belief that someday all men could be brothers. This dream continues to be shared around the world and something this nation still strives to accomplish decades after his death. King’s life had a seismic impact on race relations in America. He has been honored with a national holiday, schools and public buildings named after him, and a memorial on Independence Mall in Washington, D.C. He was a revolutionary, visionary leader deeply committed to achieving social justice through nonviolent action and is the most influential man in American history.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the most beloved U.S. President of the 20th century. He was America’s thirty-second and longest-serving president, and led America through not only the Great Depression, but also the second world war where democracy was fighting for its life. He helped the United States regain faith in itself and brought hope to its people with his legendary words, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”.

FDR was an angel sent down to be president at the time our country needed him most. Politically he was  a genius, at home in the US in his first 100 days he pushed a record number of unemployment reforms through congress to pull America out of the great depression. He initiated programs that created jobs for the jobless with the WPA and Tennessee Valley Authority. additionally he established social security, SEC and FDIC, all which were so successful they still exist today. over his tenure unemployment went from 25% to 2%. He improved international relations with Latin America with the needed Good neighbor policy. He stayed with the United States through World war two and the tragedy that was the bombing of pearl harbor.

We have all known villains from the first book we read. Whether it was swiper the fox, the joker, or Rockefeller, it's obvious that these guys mean trouble. John D. Rockefeller is easily the most influential American villain to affect our society today. His sheer evil begin when he unfairly paid his way out of fighting in the civil war, when no one else had the resources to be able to opt out of fighting. Rockefeller, while part of a church, only held the protestant church back to old ways with having only sacred diversions and amusements instead of raising its voice against social and economic vices, partially caused by Rockefeller himself. Mainly, he created horizontal integration, a tool to use to wipe out any rivals in a certain business and ruthlessly wielded uncontrollable power with the standard oil company. His unofficial motto was "let us prey,” reflecting his sole purpose to take over the weak for himself, eliminate as many people as possible to maximize his profit. His trust was anything BUT trustworthy, never showing mercy and always savage so much that they nicknamed him “reckafellow.” During his era he was terrible, but his creation of the monopoly has throughout history put good hardworking people on the streets and helped the rich get richer. He has doomed the idea of starting a small business, because it may have already be dominated by a monopoly.

The first amendment gives the people of America the freedom of speech, and William Lloyd Garrison made sure he was heard. One of the most influential abolitionists of the 1800’s, he was quoted in his very first anti-slavery paper, the Liberator, to have said "I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation. . . . I am in earnest -- I will not equivocate -- I will not excuse -- I will not retreat a single inch -- AND I WILL BE HEARD." The leader in the abolition movement, Garrison wrote in his weekly newspaper from 1831, all the way until after the Civil War. After 35 years and 1,820 issues, Garrison never failed to publish a single issue. Not only a writer, Garrison was famous to speak out passionately for African American rights. He was one of the few people in the US to call for immediate emancipation which was very unpopular. He was revolutionary to America, the most influential abolitionists of his time. A firm believer in black rights, he believed that as they were Americans too, they deserve were also entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He was the most radical of the abolitionists, but his beliefs have came true today while many other abolitionists of his day believed that blacks would never be equal. When Lincoln came out with his Emancipation Proclamation, Garrison supported it heavily.

Oppressed Seamen

People Assignments Everyone research your figure and know them well. Alex- Joseph McCarthy Andrew- Louis Armstrong LeeAnn- Edison Jerry- Madison/Jefferson Allyson- Rosa Parks Yasmin- Eleanor Roosevelt Elizabeth- Lee/Schwarzkopf Boris- Hemingway, Teddy Roosevelt Madison & Franklin

Rosa Parks

Eleanor Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt

Lee-Schwarzkopf

Edison

Hemingway

Louis Armstrong

Joseph McCarthy

Protestant Sects

Hamilton
Thomas Paine
Jane Addams
Jackie Robinson
Grant
Henry Clay
William Jennings Bryan
John C. Calhoun
Truman/Wilson
Andrew Carnegie

Alexander Hamilton:

Dubbed as the “Father of American Economics,” Alexander Hamilton is the most influential American to roam the Earth. Although he is widely known for his work as an economist, he was also an avid political scientist and soldier as well. He joined Washington’s military staff in 1777 and commanded a battery of artillery in the extremely important Battle of Yorktown. If the colonists did not defeat Britain here with the help of Hamilton, we might still be under the despotic rule of the British. In the political field, he was a huge advocate for a stronger central government, which has shaped our nation today. As a member of the Continental Congress as well as the Constitutional Convention, he teamed with James Madison to write The Federalist Papers which persuaded many Americans to favor a strong central government. If it was not for Hamilton, our security might still be in danger because of a weak central government. He also influenced the Washington’s administration idea of neutrality toward the French Revolution as well as establishing rapprochement with Britain, ideas that greatly helped our nation’s security at the time. Most notably, Hamilton created a National Bank which stabilized the nation’s currency. He also created an excise tax to generate much needed revenue for the national government as well as the first ever tariff to protect American industries. Hamilton single handedly turned the nation from a weak agrarian economy into an industrial powerhouse If it was not for the financial genius of Hamilton, who knows where our nation’s economy would be today. He also championed the ideas of Assumption (paying all of the state debts) as well as Funding at Par (Federal government paying off its debts at face value with interest) to restore much needed faith in the government. If you can find a more influential American, I will be impressed. Oh wait, you can’t.

Thomas Paine:
Thomas Paine, a very influential figure in American history, was a popular political philosopher and writer. Paine has created many works that helped American society such as “The Age of Reason”, which institutionalized religion, and “Agrarian Justice”, which fought for land reform. However, the most well known work by Paine was his pamphlet, “Common Sense”. This pamphlet was basically the key American independence. It turned society on to the side of the rebels, causing a revolution- the American Revolution. In this revolution, America found it’s independence. Thus, without Thomas Paine’s influential pamphlet, America would not have created the urge to become independent. This pamphlet contained ideas involving the superiority of the republican government, citizen equality, and the significance of the American Revolution. Also, Paine got involved with the political debate caused by the French Revolution. He created a “Rights of Man”, an even more successful document, gave Americans a new view of the republican state. This new vision saw the republican state as a social welfare promoter which supported policies of progressive taxation, retirement benefits, and public employment. The Rights of Man gave way to the relationship between demands for political reform and a social program for the lower classes. Overall, Thomas Paine has filled American with new, inspirational, and moving ideas that have helped form the America we face today.













Jackie Robinson:

Jackie Robinson or the “colored comet” broke down the barriers of race through his influential baseball career and life as a working man after. He began his athletic career at an early age in high school and getting a scholarship at UCLA. He participated in track and field breaking many school records as well as baseball and football. He played among white players and began the desegregation in competitive sports. During college, Robinson served his country in WWII and fought bravely along with other African Americans. He returned back from war to play baseball in the Negro leagues. These were competitive African American leagues segregated from the popular white MLB league. Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in MLB as a second basemen for Broooklyn Dodgers. He faced oppression from all whites until one game against the Phillies where he was called a nigger and told to go back to the cotton fields. This united the Dodgers team and they protected Robinson as they began seeing him as a human being. Robinson helped advance the Civil Rights movement ending athletic segregation and gaining respect from whites. His baseball career was extremely successful winning rookie of the year in 1947 and MVP 1949. His achievements defied the color barrier in baseball and gave hope to all African Americans. His baseball number 42 is retired in the MLB and worn by every player on April 15 in honor for his perseverance through the racist system he endured. Jackie Robinson’s movement began a surge of African American pride and a demand for rights. After his athletic career, Robinson continued to deny racial barriers as he became the first black analyst on ABC and in the 1960s helped establish Freedom national bank for blacks in NY. He continued to give support in 1970 when Robinson established the Jackie Robinson Construction Company to build housing for low-income families. His impact was enormous bringing hope and new feeling of pride among African Americans. Robinson stated, “I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”

Jane Addams:

The most influential woman in American history, Jane Addams is widely known for her influence on the lives of many minority groups including immigrants, women, and the poor, rejecting marriage and motherhood in favor of a lifetime commitment to the poor and social reform. Upon moving to Chicago, Addams established the Hull House which was a model for settlement work among the poor. It attracted male and female workers to social service, which was largely unseen at the time. In the Hull House, she eased immigrants’ and women's transitions to the American lifestyle by providing various services to them including learning how to speak read and write English, child care, and jobs within the settlement house. Seeing much needed development in Chicago, Addams establishing a nursery, dispensary, kindergarten, playground, gymnasium, and cooperative housing for young working women. She also saw much needed change in the city as she and other Hull House residents sponsored legislation to abolish child labor, establish juvenile courts, limit the hours of working women, recognize labor unions, make school attendance compulsory, and ensure safe working conditions in factories. The Progressive party adopted many of these reforms as part of its platform in 1912. If it wasn’t for Addams, would the Progressive party have ever existed? Would he Americans enjoy some the rights they enjoy today? I think not. She also served as a campaign leader for Theodore Roosevelt’s election in 1912, serving as a role model for other women. Later during World War One, she almost persuaded Woodrow Wilson to end the war to prevent future hostilities. Has a woman ever had this much influence in American society? After the armistice she helped found the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, serving as president from 1919 until her death in 1935. Her role as the most influential woman in American history was recognized in 1931 when she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in advocating for social peace during World War One.

Woodrow Wilson:

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." -Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of this great nation, is known for his humanitarian efforts and his world vision. Woodrow Wilson is known for his far reaching progressive reforms. In terms of reforms, only FDR surpasses him. Wilson’s reforms, however are more remarkable than FDR’s because they came while the nation was stable, rather during a period of economic crisis. Continuing on Taft and the T. Roosevelt’s legacy, Wilson fought for the common man. Unlike his predecessors however, he established the Federal Trade Commission an independent government organization to enforce antitrust legislation. 1914, he pushed the Clayton anti-trust act through congress, which was the most comprehensive and furthest reaching anti-trust legislation to date. He established the federal reserve system, to weaken the immense influence of powerful; New York banks. While World War One raged on, Wilson kept the United states out of the conflict for as long as he reasonably could, until he could no longer tolerate German aggression. As WWI came to a close, Wilson pushed forward his “Fourteen points,” which outlined how world order should be restored following the war to end all wars. The points were based upon principles of free-trade, self-determination and open agreements. Wilson’s last point was a “League of Nations,” which he envisioned would end the need for wars. Unfortunately, European hatred of the Germans resulted in a treaty that lacked Wilson’s forgiving yet firm touch. Although the League of Nations itself was not a success, as Republican senators vetoed the U.S. membership, the United Nations was a huge success and was based most entirely off of Wilson’s vision for the future.

Harry Truman:

“If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen”

Harry S. Truman rose to power after the unfortunate demise of his predecessor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Good ol’ Harry is known as a hardworking and dependable man. The son of farmers, Truman is the most recent president to not have attended college. After a solid but unremarkable career as an officer in the military, Truman became a county judge. Truman began his national political career in 1935, when he ran as a democrat to be a U.S. senator from Missouri. To everyone’s surprise, he won by a solid 20% margin. As a senator, Truman proved himself worthy of national attention through his activities in the Committee on Military Affairs, which eventually became known as the “Truman Committee.” The Committee looked into government abuses as the nation prepared for war. In 1944 Truman was elected Vice President because the previous Vice President was considered too liberal to run the country in case of Roosevelt’s death. Roosevelt died soon after the election and Truman was sworn in April 12, 1945. Perhaps the most defining moment of Truman’s career came early in his career when he authorized the atomic bombing of Japan. While there is considerable moral debate about whether Truman made the right decision, it is undeniable that the dropping of the bombs forever changed the world. Truman is also known for his Truman Doctrine which supported soviet containment, and arguably began what is now known as the cold war. Despite a lackluster economy and extraordinarily low approval ratings Truman won re-election. Truman made tough decisions, and was not afraid of disapproval. In 1951 he fired General MacArthur because he did not want to start a full on war with the Soviet Union. Truman effectively began the civil rights movement. in 1948 he desegregated the Military and made discrimination is civil service positions illegal.


Ulysses S. Grant:

Ulysses S. Grant was one of the most influential commanders in the Civil War. He graduated from West Point as a somewhat undistinguished student and after fighting in the Mexican American War he would return home to start his family. His real influential years would not come until the start of the Civil War, when he was made a colonel of the 21st Illinois volunteers and then later a brigadier general. At one point following the capture of Fort Donelson in Tennessee, Grant stated in reply to a question about the terms of surrender, “No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted.” By 1863 Grant had made a name for himself as a determined leader and was appointed lieutenant general in 1864, giving him command of all U.S. armies. Grant was the leader of many campaigns that ultimately wore down the Confederate army and ultimately ended the Civil War. Grant was a national hero and was even appointed America’s first four-star general. Grant then went on to win the presidential election in 1868 making him then at the age of 46 the youngest U.S. president-elect in U.S. history at the time. During his presidency he worked to create a peaceful reconciliation between the North and the South. He attempted to protect the civil rights of former slaves while at the same time supporting pardons for former Confederate leaders. He also signed legislation that was intended to limit the actions of white terrorists groups such as the Klu Klux Klan. He wasn’t just talk though, Grant actually went as far as to station federal troops throughout the South so as to maintain law and order. Grant wasn’t only concerned with civil rights though, he also signed legislation creating the Department of Justice, the Weather Bureau, and America’s first national park, Yellowstone National Park. He also improved foreign policy by negotiating the 1871 Treaty of Washington that resulted in improved relations between the United Kingdom and the United States. Ulysses S. Grant made a positive impact in so many areas of government and politics and provided so much aid and leadership for the country in fighting the Civil War. He is obviously an influential person in our history not only as a general but as the 18th U.S. president as well.

Andrew Carnegie:

Industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was born on November 25, 1835, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Although he had very little education around him, Carnegie grew up in a family that believed in the importance of books and learning. Carnegie soon grew up to become one of the wealthiest businessmen in America. When he was 13 in 1848, Carnegie ventured to the United States with his family. Carnegie then went to work in a factory, earning $1.20 a week. Hoping to advance his career, he moved up to a telegraph operator position in 1851. He then took a job at the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1853. He worked as the assistant and telegrapher to Thomas Scott, one of the railroad's top officials. Through this experience, he learned about the railroad industry and about business in general. Three years later, Carnegie was promoted to superintendent. While working for the railroad, Carnegie began making investments. He left the railroad in 1865 to focus on his other business interests, and by the next decade, most of Carnegie's time was dedicated to the steel industry. His business, which became known as the Carnegie Steel Company, revolutionized steel production in the United States. Carnegie built plants around the country, using technology and methods that made manufacturing steel easier, faster and vastly more productive. For every step of the process, he owned exactly what he needed: the raw materials, ships and railroads for transporting the goods, and even coal fields to fuel the steel furnaces. This "start-to-finish" strategy helped Carnegie transform into the dominant force of the industry and an exceedingly wealthy man. It also made him known as one of America's "builders," as his business helped to fuel the economy and shape the nation into what it is today. By 1889, Carnegie Steel Corporation was the largest of its kind in the world. In the same year, Andrew Carnegie published an essay titled "The Gospel of Wealth". He argued that the accumulation of wealth was beneficial to society and government should take no action to impede it. He believed the rich were trustees of their wealth, holding it until proper public uses could be discovered. Carnegie spent his last few years giving away his vast fortune. One of his many charitable ventures was the funding of more than 2,800 public libraries. He once said, "the man who dies rich dies disgraced."

Henry Clay:

Henry Clay could be considered somewhat of a dark horse in the debate over the most influential American but his guidance for America during their sectional crises, his effective economic plan, and convincing push for war in 1812 make him one of the most significant Americans in history. Henry Clay served his country as a Representative, Senator and Secretary of State for over half a century.  He changed the role of Speaker of the House and transformed it into the influential position it is today.  Clay actively pushed for American participation in the War of 1812 while the country was split on the issue.  The country eventually decided to fight Britain which proved to be an incredible success, thanks to Clay.  America truly became a respected and influential nation around the world and internally, a new sense of nationalism and improved industrialism boomed throughout the country.  Without Clay, America would not have developed its incredible power and influence abroad.  Clay helped encourage his country’s nationalism under his American System.  His progressive system of a strong national bank, protective tariff, and a network of canals and roads became the basis of the American economy.  During his role in the American Legislator, he saved the country multiple times which earned him the name “The Great Compromiser.”  His skills of negotiation and compromise proved invaluable in helping to hold the country together for the first half of the 19th century.  He developed compromises during national crises such as the Missouri Compromise, Nullification Crisis, and Compromise of 1850.  He effectively balanced regional interests and put off the civil war until a time where the nation could survive it.  Without Clay, a civil war could have broken out under an incapable leader and the South may have become a separate nation.  In addition, Clay helped create and become the most powerful leader in the whig party.  However, Clay’s influence did not end after his death in 1852.  He continued to have an effect of many future leaders on the country but especially Abe Lincoln.  Lincoln has been quoted saying that Clay was “my beau ideal of a statesman” that he “almost worshiped Henry Clay.”  Henry Clay’s ideals provided to be valuable guidance for Abe during the civil war.

Clay


William Jennings Bryan:
Although William Jennings Bryan never became president, he still had an enormous influence on the country due to his ushering of America into the progressive movement.  Bryan started his career as a populist leader.  He called for nationalization of the railroads, telegraph, and telephone due to his anti-trust mentality.  In addition, he wanted a graduated income tax.  But most importantly he believed free silver was a save all.  Bryan was a man of the people and he believed the government should also support the people especially following the corruption experienced during the Industrial Age.  Through his passionate speeches, Bryan ran for the presidency as part of the Democratic party in 1896, 1900, and 1908, calling for reform.  His most famous speech, “The Cross of Gold” was a plea for silver that would in turn produce easy money policies and help the forgotten man of America.  However, Bryan lost this election because America was not yet ready for a progressive movement.  Finally, Theodore Roosevelt was elected who extended the ideals of Bryan and lead the nation in a crusade to help the common man.  Political Progressivism reformed the corrupt voting process through initiative, referendum, recall, and the secret ballot.  Roosevelt, Truman, and Taft all curbed the power of monopolies through their anti-trust policies.  The 17th amendment gave women the power to vote.  Wilson appointed Bryan secretary of State in 1913.  The Clayton Antitrust Act and Adamson Act represented Bryan’s ideology and were enacted under the Wilson regime. These progressive acts and achievements could not have been possible without the start of the movement from Bryan.  The common man, especially farmers and industrial workers, owe their improved conditions to Mr. Bryan.








John C. Calhoun:
A South Carolinian and sectionalist, John C. Calhoun was one of America’s most famous political theorists. During his active and influential political life, Calhoun served as senator, U.S. secretary of war, vice president, and secretary of state. Calhoun controversially defended the slave plantation system, states’ rights, limited government, nullification and free trade in belief that that was what was needed in order to preserve the union. He penned The South Carolina Exposition, which lead the protests against the “Tariff of Abominations”. As a "war hawk", he agitated in Congress for the War of 1812 to defend American honor against Britain. Near the end of the war, he successfully delayed a vote on US Treasury notes being issued, insightfully arguing that the bill would not pass if the war were to end in the near future; the day of the vote, Congress received word from New York that the war was over. As Secretary of War under President James Monroe, he reorganized and modernized the War Department, building powerful permanent bureaucracies that ran the department, as opposed to patronage appointees and did so while trimming the requested funding each year. Calhoun was responsible establishing the Second Bank of the United States as well as joining with Henry Clay to develop the Compromise Tariff. Calhoun died eleven years before the start of the American Civil War, but he was an inspiration to the secessionists of 1860–61. Calhoun was one of the "Immortal Trio" of Congressional leaders, along with his Congressional colleagues Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.

Works Cited

"Alexander Hamilton." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Ashland - The Henry Clay Estate." Ashland The Henry Clay Estate. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June      2015.

"The Atlantic." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Common Sense Quotes." By Thomas Paine. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"John C. Calhoun." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Jackie Robinson." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Kennedy, David M., and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2013. Print.

"Thomas Paine." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 June 2015.

"Ulysses S. Grant." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 02 June 2015.

Whynot, Wyndham. "African Americans: World War II." World at War: Understanding Conflict and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.