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.