Historical Characters

Charles Lindbergh

- was an aviator, author, and military officer among other occupations; He made the first solo transatlantic flight. -pioneered the "Model T Pump" which would revolutionize the future of heart surgeries. -In 1932, his infant son was kidnapped and murdered across state lines, this prompted kidnapping to become a federal crime. -was accused of being a Nazi Sympathizer for taking a non-intervetionist stance on the war.

Langston Hughes

(1902-1967) -A poet- first collection of his poetry was published in 1926 (The Weary Blue) and wrote his most notable work "Harlem" (conceived as a part of a book-length poem, Montage of Dream Deferred . -He was the Leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance. -worked as a columnist for the Chicago defender for 20 years. -When he was younger, he faced racial discrimination in his schools.

Leland Stanford

- (1824-1893) One of the "Big Four" tycoons who became president of the Central Pacific Railroad -went on to become governor of California. -One of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad Co. -Founder of Stanford University

Samuel Gompers

- 1875 became the President of the Cigar Makers' International Union and was later the first vice-president -American Labor Leader- first president and founder of the American Federation of Labor (1886-1924) -By working with Germans, he learned German along with various German ideas and philosophies. -He believed that workers should not be forced to sell their labor at low prices.

John F. Kennedy

- was born to one of the wealthiest families in America, and he grew his fame as a Navy war hero during WW2 -Elected president at the age of 43, focussing on patriotism and comatting the Soviet Union and communism during the Cold War -Spent lots of time in office on foreign policy and even tried to start a revolution to overthrow communist Cuba -Settled the Cuban Missile Crisis and pushed the nuclear test ban treaty -Was assassinated on a motorcade in Dallas and is thought of today as one of the most loved presidents in American history -is the only president in American history to win a purple heart

William Howard Taft

- was the 27th President of the United States who held office during the Progressive era from 1909-1913. -Held the position as Supreme Court justice from 1921 until 1930 and was influential in the creation of the Judge's Act of 1925. -Trust buster of monopolies including efforts to break up US steel and allow for smaller companies to take root and prosper. -Implemented Dollar diplomacy as a form of foreign policy in straying from the use of force and the military but rather the economic influence of the US in a territory.

Douglas MacArthur

-(1880-1964) U.S. general. Commander of U.S. (later Allied) forces in the southwestern Pacific during World War II, he accepted Japan's surrender in 1945 and administered the ensuing Allied occupation. -He was in charge of UN forces in Korea 1950-51, before being forced to relinquish command by President Truman. -Defended the Philippines and organized escape to Australia. Participated in the Borneo campaign. -Was an five star general. -Was charged with organizing the defense of the Emperor.

Joseph McCarthy

-1950s; Wisconsin senator claimed to have list of communists in American gov't, but no credible evidence; took advantage of fears of communism post WWII to become incredibly influential; "McCarthyism" was the fearful accusation of any dissenters of being communists -Served as a circuit judge in Wisconsin from 1940-1942 -Ran for U.S. Senate as a Republican in 1946 and served from 1946-54 -Utilized Chinese Revolution of 1949 and Korean War to create the Second Red Scare

Barry Goldwater

-1964 Presidential nominee for Republicans against LBJ, lost -platform included lessening federal involvement, therefore opposing Civil Rights Act of 1964; lost by largest margin in history -Senator from Arizona for 30 non-consecutive years -Influential in getting Richard Nixon to resign during the Watergate scandal -Important in the upbringing of modern conservative ideals during Reagan's presidency

Barack Obama

-1st african American prez.; 44th -Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 , giving legal protection in the fight for equal pay for women -Obamacare, more health care opportunities -Won Nobel Prize in 2009 for his vision and works to a world without nuclear weapons -Legalized gay marriage in 2015

Sandra Day O' Connor

-1st woman to appear on the US Supreme Court appointed by Reagan in 1981 -Known for her dispassionate and meticulously researched opinions. -Planned Parenthood v. Casey case (1992) -Made it clear that the utmost importance to her was the protection of human rights -Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom By Prez. Obama (2009)

Grover Cleveland

-22nd and 24th president of the united states and the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms -Led bourbon democrats who opposed high tariffs, inflation, and imperialism -One of two democrats to be elected during the years 1861 to 1933 -Won conservative support through classical liberalism but lost almost all popularity when it was time to face large issues

Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)

-34th president and five star general -Was the supreme commander of the allied expeditionary force in Europe during WWII -Blocking isolationist agendas and stopping the spread of communism were his main goals coming into office -Authorized the creation of NASA

Ronald Reagan

-40th Prez. of the US (1981-1989) -Governor of California from (1967 to 1975) -Is credited with bringing the Cold War to an end quicker -Actor on "The General Electric Theater" -Known to say "tear down the wall" at the Berlin Wall

George W. Bush

-43rd prez. (2001-2009) ; 9/11 attack -Invaded Afghanistan in response to terrorist attack and overthrew the Taliban -Issued the Patriot Act into law created the cabinet level Department of Homeland Security and later invaded Iraq -Faced unpopularity about the justification about the invasion of the Middle East

George Herman "Babe" Ruth

-A monk named Brother Matthias helped him learn baseball at the St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys -Jack Dunn invited him to play for the Baltimore Orioles in 1914; traded to the Boston Red Sox that same year, traded to the Yankees in 1919 -Performed well when pitching (2.28 ERA) and hitting (.342 BA avg, 714 HRs) -Made baseball a great source of entertainment during the 1920s and 30s

Booker T. Washington

-African American progressive who supported segregation and demanded that African American better themselves individually to achieve equality. -Educator, Orator and adviser to many Presidents -Helped found the National Negros Buissnes league -Wrote the 'Atlanta Compromise' which called for basic education and due process of laws for Southern African Americans -Supporter of education and skills learning for Freedmen post Reconstruction

William Randolph Hearst

-After two years at Harvard College, he took control of his fathers newspaper San Francisco Examiner in 1887 -Soon after he moved to the New York City newspaper market and bought the New York Morning Journal in 1895 -Competition between Hearst's Journal and Pulitzer's World would create and define the term yellow journalism though would rule public thought in the early 1900s -By 1925 he had acquired many newspapers, magazines, etc. until he was forced to sell and consolidated during the Great Depression

George Washington Carver

-Agricultural scientist best known for developing peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans. -Born into slavery just before it was outlawed, then left home at a young age for eduation. -Received a master's degree in agricultural science from Iowa State University. He was also the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science degree. -Carver taught and worked at Tuskegee University from 1896, for the rest of his life.

Jonas Salk

-Aided the creation of the influenza vaccine at the University of Michigan Became director of the Virus Research Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, began polio research -Developed the first safe and effective polio vaccine, released for public use in 1955 -Launched the Salk Center for Biological Studies in 1963 to study other diseases

Frances Willard

-American educator and heavily supported women's suffrage Became president of Evanston College for ladies in 1871 -1874, Willard was elected as the first Corresponding Secretary for the Women's Christian Temperance Union. She worked to educate people about the evils of alcohol. She urged laws banning the sale of liquor. Also worked to outlaw saloons as step towards strengthening democracy. -Eleven years later, Willard got together with Elizabeth Boynton Harbert, Mary Ellen West, and others to create the Illinois Woman's Press

Gloria Steinem

-American journalist and social political activist who speaks on many topics, mainly feminism -Gained traction in 1963 following an article where she recounted working at Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club. Soon, she began more works on feminism and political topics -In 1971, she was one of over three hundred women to found the National Women's Political Caucus, which is where her history of activism begins -To this day, she continues to work for equal rights for women and feminism

Sinclair Lewis

-American novelist - known for his satirical works; some famous novels include - Our Mr. Wrenn (1914) and Babbitt (1922) -Became popular because of the writing of his novel Main Street (1920) about American life that used satire in the means of describing both people and knowledge -Won the Pulitzer prize for his writing Arrowsmith but turned it down, the first person to do so -Was the first American to win the Nobel Prize for literature in the year 1930 -Wrote for the magazines The Saturday Evening Post and Cosmopolitan

Eugene V. Debs

-Democrat elected to the Indiana General Assembly in 1884. -Organized first Industrial Union, which was the American Railway Union (ARU) -Debs lead the American Industrial Union in strikes against Pullman Company, which resulted in Labor Day -Was arrested for being in the Pullman Strike, so he read Karl Marx and that influenced his ideologies

Jimmy Carter

-As 39th president of United States Carter portrayed himself as a man of the people introducing programs for social and economic reform, and included a relatively large number of women and minorities in his cabinet. -Was popular with the public but not with Congress. This lead to many of his plans to be blocked. -Formed two treaties with Panama and issued the Camp David Accords ending a war between Egypt and Israel. -Started the Carter Center which has helped 80 countries by resolving conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, preventing diseases, and improving mental health care. Also faced an energy crisis. -In 1979, a mob of Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran taking hostages in protest against the arrival in the United States of the deposed Iranian shah. Failed to free the hostages

Cornelius Vanderbilt

-As a boy, he worked with his father and operated a boat that ferried cargo. -gave 1 million to Central University in Nashville, that would later become known as Vanderbilt University. -gained control of traffic on the Hudson River. His competitor eventually paid him in return for him to move his operation. -was also known to be ruthless cunning business man and was described as stabbing business partners in the back to gain more profit. -A railroad owner who built a railway connecting Chicago and New York. He popularized the use of steel rails in his railroad, which made railroads safer and more economical.

Bernard Baruch

-Baruch gained his fortune through the sugar market after he purchased a seat on the New York Stock Exchange -Served as a presidential adviser in the first World War and was a member of the Paris Peace Conference and helped create the League of Nations -Also served as a presidential adviser in World War 2 and was appointed as the United States representative to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission -Was known for his walks in Central Park where he would sit on park benches and discuss American affairs with regular citizens

Joseph Pulitzer

-Born in Europe, came to the U.S. during the Civil War era in his hopes of becoming a soldier -A known "yellow journalism" during the post civil war era with his New York World -Created the Pulitzer Prize to reward outstanding literature -Exposed government corruption and other societal and political issues to make his writings interesting -During the Spanish-American war, began dramatizing events in order to compete with Hearst and his New York Journal

Warren G. Harding

-Bought The Marion Star newspaper in Ohio in 1884 which flourished with the help of his wife, Florence Harding -Elected state senator (1899-1902) then lieutenant governor (1903-1904) but was beaten for the Ohio governorship in 1910 -Became a popular Republican when he nominated Taft at the 1912 Republican Convention, later to be elected US Senator (1915-1921) -Elected 29th president in by landslide with his promise of a return to normalcy, but would be ruined by scandals (1921-1923)

Bob Dylan

-He was hailed the Shakespeare of his generation and set the standard for lyric writing -He is an activist and has used his songs as a form or protesting or sharing his political views. He performed at the March on Washington and wrote songs about notable Black figures of the era -He is one of the most important individuals in modern culture -He has received many awards and accomplishments during his career

Orville and Wilbur Wright

-Created the world's first successful powered airplane in 1903 Invented the system of "wing warping" to control the plane with wires -Flew to Europe in 1908 and signed contracts with French investors and the U.S. Army -Established the first civilian flight school in America

F. Scott Fitzgerald

-His first novel, This Side of Paradise, made him famous and opened the doors to the literary world. He would later become more popular due to his depictions of the Jazz Age -Him and his wife Zelda, were known as the prince and princess of their generation -He wrote most of his novel either about his life or aspects of his life that he felt would resonate with others -His novel, The Great Gatsby, is the most profoundly American novel of its time

Eleanor Roosevelt

-During World War 1, she did much volunteer work, where she visited wounded soldier -During World War 1, she worked with the navy and in the red cross and she claimed this work increased her sense of self-worth -was a big advocate for equality and women's rights. Her defense towards the rights of African Americans helped bring groups into the government. -Upon Franklin Roosevelt's death, she was appointed delegate of the United Nations in 1946.

Herbert Hoover

-Earned respect after he had rescued Europeans from starvation during World War 1 -He was elected the 31st president of the United States in 1918 -During his administration the Great Depression arose and many figures started to point at him -He had some great points in administration (such as helping American Indian healthcare double, alleviating overcrowded prisons, and attempts to eliminate forigen tensions) but mainly bad ones (like opposing direct relief payments to citizens and

Albert Fall

-Elected to the US Senate in 1912 and served until President Harding made him Secretary of the Interior in 1921 -He was a big figure in scandals that concerned oil fields which hurt the Republican Party. -He was forced to resign in 1923 and was tried for the scandal he took part in. -In 1931 he was found guilty for trying to defraud the government.

Jesse Owens

-Famous Olympian who set a world record for the running broad jump and won four gold medals (1936, Berlin) -Proved to Adolf Hitler that his (Hitler's) believe that Germans were superior was false, causing Hitler to not shake his hand to congratulate him for his gold medal -While Hitler did not shake his hand following his win, he casts that aside and tells other how President Roosevelt did not congratulate him or send him a message -Following his fame from the Olympics , he became a symbol of freedom and an example that Black Americans can be successful

Malcolm X

-Father died in a hit and run; mother condemned to an asylum when he was young -Spent his teenage years as a criminal in Harlem; joined the Nation of Islam while he was in prison (1946-1952) -criticized Americanism, criticized MLK's doctrine, and argued for violence -Left the Nation of Islam, travelled to Mecca where he founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity

Neil Armstrong

-First man to walk on the moon setting the precedent for space travel and the pursuit of opportunities beyond earth. -Went on two space missions throughout his lifetime: Gemini 8 and Apollo 11. -From his heroic actions, Armstrong was the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Honor, Congressional Space Medal of Honor, and the Congressional Gold Medal. -Professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Cincinnati following his retirement from NASA in 1971.

Cesar Chavez

-Founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which sought to improve conditions for farm workers. -Helped organize the march on Sacramento in 1966, which made the grape strike and consumer boycott come into national consciousness. -Succeeded in raising salaries and improving working conditions for farm workers in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. -Stressed non-violent methods of protest to incite change.

Jesse Jackson

-Founder of rainbow/push, a non-profit organization based in Chicago pursuing social justice and civil rights -2nd African American to run for prez. in 1984 -Marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and became a worker in King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) -After King's death, some thought he was the new SCLC leader ; wanted to pursue personal stuff but he became a leading national spokesman for African Americans.

Andrew Carnegie

-Founder of the Carnegie Steel Company, a monopolized empire over the steel industry. -Industrialist who introduced a variety of cost effective procedures to the steel making process such as implementing the Bessemer process. -Author of The Gospel of Wealth which was published in 1889. -Philanthropist who founded the Carnegie Institution which supported members of the education system as well as researchers in the sciences.

Emilio Aguinaldo

-He was the first President of the Philippines and the youngest president in Philippines history he served from 1899 to 1901 -Before his presidency, he was a revolutionary who fought in several battles in the name of the Philippines against Spain and the United States in the Spanish American War and the Philippine-American War. -He led forces in his most famous battles of Imus, Battle of Binakayan-Dalahican, Zapote Bridge, and Perez Dasmarinas -He was also a president of three other Republics such as The Revolutionary Government, Republic of Biak-na-Bato, Tejeros Revolutionary Government, and a dictator of the Philippines

Ida Tarbell

-Prominent muckraker and investigative journalist -"The History of the Standard Oil Company" is her most well-known work -Avid biographer in which she desired to tell the truth of people's lives -She initially opposed the women's suffrage movement, however she began to welcome the idea after women gained the ability to vote

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

-Got himself into politics at a relatively young age started to rank up and build his reputation. He got polio and lost his ability to walk. -He was elected during a time of economic instability after the Great Depression and used the "New Deal" (programs, laws, and reforms) to help repair America's economy. When WW2 broke out he wanted to send goods to the allies (Lend Lease Act). -After Pearl Harbor, it forced the US to join the war. He created relationships with the allies and met with them at the Yalta Conference (Churchill and Stalin). -During his fourth term in presidency he died, but his leadership helped the US and its allies to win the war. -He married one of his distant cousins.

Clarence Darrow

-He couldn't finish or pay for university, instead he passed lawyer apprenticeship and was admitted to the bar in 1878 -Served as general attorney for Chicago and Northwestern Railway -He was popular with radical leftists for defending labor leaders, strikers, and anarchists -Acted in the Leopold & Loeb's murder trial, saving them both from death row of killing a 14-year old boy -Defended John Scopes in Scopes v.s. State (1926) which involved Clarence and also William Jennings Bryan arguing for prosecution against Scopes

JP Morgan

-He financed industrial consolidations such as General Electric, U.S. Steel, and International Harvester. -He spent much of his wealth on a giant art collection -He used his influence to save the nation's economy when the U.S. had no banking system -He is widely known for his assistance in leading Wall Street out of a financial crisis in 1907

Louis Armstrong

-He had a huge impact on the Harlem Renaissance which was a huge revival of African American art. -He publicly criticized President Eisenhower for his laws on segregation In protest of the treatment of fellow Black Americans, Armstrong cancelled a tour of the Soviet Union causing the FBI to keep an open profile on him. -He was accepted into white society which was a huge accomplishment as a black musician during this time

John D. Rockefeller

-He started working at a very young age and worked multiple jobs where he started to learn entrepreneur skills -He saw the opportunity to make money in oil and he opened an oil refinery near Cleveland -Through great deals and buying out all of their competitors, Standard Oil quickly grew. They grew a monopoly over most all US oil and became one of the richest companies in America. -His business practices revolutionized almost every form of business as many tried to copy Standard Oil's success. Many laws were passed to combat this monopolization. -After he retired he focussed on philanthropy and he used his money to do good and help his community. -His father was a con artist

George Creel

-He was an American author, journalist, democrat politician, and government official. -Appointed to the Committee of Public Information by Wilson, which did anything to raise support for America in WW1. -After some time reporting for the Kansas City World, he made his own newspaper Kansas City Independent -He hired 75,000 'four-minute men' that gave speeches supporting U.S. involvement in WW1 -He inspired millions to volunteer for the army by saying that WW1 was a fight for America and European civilization

George Kennan

-He was an American diplomat and ambassador best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War. -Successfully advocated a containment policy to prevent Soviet Expansion after World War II. -Kennan sent a 8000 word Telegram to the Department, speaking on Stalin's political ideals and his aggressive nature. -Was a key component of smoothening the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union. -Published an article called "X" denouncing Stalin and the Soviet Union's Marxist ideology.

Mark Twain

-His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens -He worked for his brothers newspaper called the Hannibal Journal, which is where he first began to love writing. -He was deeply into politics, where he followed the Lincoln campaign and he also liked to keep upto date with current events -These characteristics allowed him to provide depth in his literature where he challenged issues that faced america like racism, social classes, and education reform.

Alice Paul

-Important figure in fighting for the Nineteenth Amendment. -Led the National Woman's party in which she tried to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed. -Helped to include women in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. -Was involved in many strikes and was an activist in feminism.

Robert Oppenheimer

-In 1925, he travelled to England and later Germany to study the atomic theory -After German scientists warned the U.S. that Germany was developing an atomic device, Oppenheimer researched a uranium extraction process -led the Manhattan Project, successful atomic test in 1945 -Awarded the Enrico Fermi Award of the Atomic Energy Commission

William Levitt

-In 1929, his father founded Levitt and Sons which was the biggest upscale house building company in New York. -Post-WW2 he saw a need for housing for veterans, this led him to streamline a assembly-line like construction method which was aided by the post-war prosperity. -is nicknamed the "King of Suburbia", due to his influence on suburban growth and "levittowns". -Although he was revolutionary in the industry, he was extremely discriminatory towards minority groups when providing housing.

John Dillinger

-Joined the US Navy in 1923 - he was stationed on the USS Utah, but he eventually deserted and was arrested -He was released on parole, but turned to a life of theft and robbed five banks in Indiana and Ohio -was jailed in September 1933 in Ohio, but his friends helped him escape -broke out of Crown Point Jail by pretending he had a fake pistol

George Wallace

-Racist gov. of Alabama in 1962 ("segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever") -First ran for governor, failed because he was "out-segregated" Ran again for Alabama governor on the ticket of segregation. -runs for pres. In 1968 on American Independent Party ticket of racism and law and order, loses to Nixon; runs in 1972 but gets shot -After his attempted assasination, ran on the ticket of civil rights.

Toni Morrison

-She taught at Howard University and worked as an editor at Random House -Wrote The Bluest Eye (1970), a book addressing racism and white beauty standards -Wrote Beloved (1987), won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction -Earned the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature (first African-American woman to do so)

Theodore Roosevelt

-Led the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War -Began the construction of the Panama Canal -Leader of progressive movement, pushed antitrust policies with his Square Deal -Negotiated peace in the Russo-Japanese War, earned the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize

Rachel Carson

-Marine biologist and nature writer -known for Silent Spring (1962) -Second female to be hired by US Bureau of Fisheries -Wrote many popular books about aquatic life and accused chemical companies of contaminating wildlife -Became a published writer for a children's magazine at 10

Mary Baker Eddy

-She founded Christian Science, a belief system which though that only people devoted to God know true reality, and that "sin and illness are illusions which can be overcome by prayer and faith". -She founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, in New England in 1879. Where she taught Christian Science. -She was an author and wrote many books and articles, but her most influential being Science and Health, a book explaining Christian Science and the religion's teachings. The first edition was published in 1875. -She founded the Christian Science Monitor, in 1908, a secular newspaper that won the Pulitzer Prize.

Thurgood Marshall

-Nominated by President Lyndon Johnson for the Supreme Court in 1966; became the first African American Supreme Court Justice. -As a practicing attorney, he argued a record-breaking 32 cases, winning 29 of them. -As a lawyer, he constantly worked on cases, fighting for African American teachers to be paid fairly. -He risked his life while fighting Civil Rights battles

Al Capone

-One of the most famous gangsters from the American Prohibition Era. -Operated in Chicago, he ran illegal brewing, prostitution, and gambling businesses. -His gang caused the St. Valentine's Day Massacre on February 14,1929, in which they gunned down several members of a rival gang in their garage. -In 1931, Capone was found guilty of tax evasion and a few other counts, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, eventually winding up in Alcatraz. (You can resize, reorganize, design your slide if you want but it is not necessary)

James B. Duke

-President of the American Tobacco Company (1890) -Aided in the establishment of both the American Snuff Company and Cigar Company -Had to break up his company due to 1911 court ruling to end the tobacco monopoly -Invested with his family in hydroelectric power for their businesses, and launched the Southern Power Company in 1905 which powered many other works and textile mills in the Carolinas -Used his Duke Endowment trust fund to support various philanthropies, encouraging education at Trinity College, later renamed after Duke

Andrew Mellon

-Secretary of Treasury under President Harding, Coolidge and Hoover, who instituted a Republican policy of reduced government spending, lower taxes to the wealthy and higher tariffs ; He felt it was best to invest in tax-exempt securities rather than in factories that provided prosperous payrolls. He believed in trickle down economics. (Hamiltonian economics) -Funded two powerful companies (the Aluminum Company of America and the Gulf Oil Corporation) -He was appointed head of the U.S. Treasury by President Warren G. Harding in 1921 -also had a big say in the National foeign policies due to the abundance of debt we had. -His policies also helped produce the economic boom in the 1920s under president Calvin Coolidge.

Lyndon B. Johnson

-Served as the 36th (1963-1969) Democratic U.S. President after the death of JFK -Became the Senate leader of the Democrats in 1953, where he became known for his aggressive political actions. -Just after assuming office, LBJ passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, The Clean Air Act, and a major tax cut -Received a Silver Star and was later promoted to Commander in the US Navy in 1949.

Richard Nixon

-Served in the US navy as an Lieutenant Commander. -Served as CA senator for 3 years. -Lost to Kennedy in 1960, one the presidency in 1968 -Resigned office as a result of the watergate scandal.

Mary Harris Jones

-She fought for coal workers' rights by speaking in Appalachian mining towns, encouraging them to join unions; She also fought for child labor laws. -She was one of the most prominent female labor activists of the 19th century. -She joined the Knights of Labor in 1877 and from then on lead hundreds of strikes including the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the Haymarket riot in Chicago in 1886. -did not believe in women's suffrage and though that a woman's place was in the home. -She was nicknamed "Mother Jones" by the workers she organized.

Mary Elizabeth Lease

-She was a lecturer, writer, and political activist -was a prominent figure in the populist party, advocating for women's' suffrage and temperance -She viewed Theodore Roosevelt's election was a payoff for her hard work -Many politicians insulted her looks, confidence, and behavior rather than her arguments, which just made Lease preserve and give more than 160 speeches. -A speaker for the Populist party and the Farmer's Alliance. One of the founders of the national Populist party. She believed that big business had made the people of America into "wage slaves," and challenged her fellow farmers to "raise less corn and more hell."

Helen Keller

-She wrote The Story of My Life and The Frost King. -Helen Keller, later to be regarded as a prolific author and disability rights activist, lost both her sight and hearing at the age of nineteen months. -She supported Eugene V. Debs and was a member of the Socialist Party. -She was the first deaf & blind individual to earn a Bachelor Arts Degree (attended a liberal arts college of Harvard University) and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. -She wrote 14 books in her lifetime, as well as advocating for disability rights, women's suffrage, labor rights, and world peace. She traveled around the world to give speeches and the deafblind community was widely impacted by her.

John Hay

-Studied law in Springfield, Illinois where he met Abraham Lincoln and would be his private secretary (1861-1865) -Became a key national figure when Mckinley appointed Hay as ambassador to Great Britain (1897-1898) -was influential in ending the Spanish-American, Treaty of Paris (1901) and argued in favor of keeping the Philippines for the U.S. -Spread the ideas of The Open Door Policy to imperialists nations, and negotiated the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty allowing the US to build and control an isthmus canal in Panama

Harry Truman

-The 33rd U.S. president, who succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt upon Roosevelt's death in April 1945. -Truman, who led the country through the last few months of World War II, is best known for making the controversial decision to use two atomic bombs against Japan in August 1945. -After the war, Truman was crucial in the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which greatly accelerated Western Europe's economic recovery. -Won WW2 in Asia and Europe

Dr. Charles Drew

-The first African American physician and surgeon who graduated from Columbia University -Conducted research on blood plasma - contributed to American society by developing Blood Banks -Supported US and Britain in WW2 by providing them with blood in the Blood for Britain project -Director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank

Robert McNamara

-U.S. Secretary of defense (1961-1968) where he played a big role in the military and the Vietnam War -In 1960, was the first person, who was not blood-related to the Ford family , to be the president of the company, only to later resign to become the secretary of defense under Kennedy -Was for the military getting even more involved with Vietnam, but would later change his morals and oppose further military involvement, causing him to lose his influence -Following him leaving the Pentagon in 1968, he would speak out and address issues that impacted the nation and the world

Dean Acheson

-US Secretary of State during the presidency of Truman -He helped massively in designing the Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine; two documents that helped define the United States' foreign policy -He was also asked to assist during the Cuban Missile Crisis and Kennedy put him onto the Executive Committee of the National Security Council -he is most well known for convincing Truman to put the US in the midst of the Korean War in the 1950's

Madeleine Albright

-Under Bill Clinton, she was the 1st female in history to be secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. -After graduating from Columbia University, Albright worked for Maine Senator Edmund Muskie and on the National Security Council in president Jimmy Carter's administration. -Became ambassador to UN in 1993 -Highest ranking US official to visit North Korea -As an adult she realized the real reason her family fled to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia in 1939 was because her family was Jewish.

George Marshall

-United States general and statesman who as Secretary of State organized the European Recovery Program (1880-1959) -General of the army, and was the U.S. Army Chief of staff during WWII. And trained troops in Europe during WWI. -He was appointed to be secretary of state in 1947-1949. (During which proposed the Marshall Plan) -Won the Peace Prize for a plan aimed at the economic recovery of Western Europe after WWII -Although he was ill, President Harry Truman called upon Marshall to help prepare forces for the Korean War. Trained morally and increased strength.

George H.W. Bush

-Us ambassador by Prez. Nixon, and later chairman of Republican National Committee -Joined CIA in 1976 as the director -VP under Reagan and then prez. In 1988 -Much interest in foreign affairs like the invasion of Panama

Thomas Edison

-Used his excess to railroad car to perform experiments. -Had the reputation of a first-rate investor by the 1870s -he did not invent the lightbulb, but instead he developed the technology to provide it to the masses -In 1896, he projected the first motion picture in New York City

Walter Cronkite

-Was a lifelong journalist who started out by selling newspapers by The Kansas City Star -Named the most trusted man in America for objective and sincere reporting -Reported on many major American events in the 20th century ranging from World War 2 up to the launch of Apollo 11 -He was also a hit on the CBS, hosting the evening news for many Americans -His reporting was so influential that LBJ once said if he lost Cronkite, he would also lose Americans' support for the Vietnam War

Stokely Carmichael

-Was a target of the FBI's COINTELPRO programme under j. edgar hoover -He was one of the original sncc (student nonviolent coordinating committee) members -Followed in the footsteps of malcolm x and was the honorary prime minister of the black panther party -He then moved to africa and took the name kwame ture

Jackie Robinson

-Went to UCLA where he was the first person to letter in four sports: baseball, basketball, track, and football -Played semi-pro football in Hawaii, but was cut and then he became a Lieutenant in the army during WW2 -Never saw combat in WW2. Was arrested in the army for not moving to the back of the bus, but he fought and got the charges dropped. -First played on all African American pro team, but was one of the first African Americans to join the white league where he faced extreme racism (racial slurs, death threats, physical altercations- some even by his own teammates). -He went on to win National League MVP, set multiple records, and won a world series. After retirement he continued to fight for Civil Rights and supported other African American athletes. -His number, 42, is the only number that is retired across all of Major League Baseball

A. Philip Randolph

-With Chandler Owen, he made many contributions to help African Americans. -In 1912, he and Owen established an employment agency to help Black workers. -The men founded "The Messenger" in 1917, a magazine that advocated for more African American positions in the armed forces and war industry. This was after the US entered World War I. -Randolph founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), which was a labor union operated to improve the working conditions of African American maids and railroad workers. -He eventually separated this Labor Union from the American Federation of Labor (AFL) because he believed it did not advocate for African American workers. -In response to Randolph's threat to instigate a massive protest in Washington D.C, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which established the Fair Employment Practices Committee and prohibited discrimination in defense industries and federal bureaus. -conducted the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom of August 28, 1963. This march drew approximately 200,000 people to the Capitol advocating for Civil Rights. -Randolph founded the League for Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Against Military Segregation, which eventually helped ban racial segregation in the military.

W.E.B. DuBois

-Worked for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - found how slavery affected lives of African Americans -Wrote The Strivings of the Negro People - helped people understand how racism felt to African Americans -Published The Souls of Black Folk - challenged Booker T. Washington's idea of having Black's get used to discrimination -He founded the Niagara Movement to help end racial oppression against Blacks

Ernest Hemingway

-Worked in the journalism industry for the Kansas City Star and Toronto Star that would help to shape his style -Participated in WW1 as an ambulance driver was injured and lived in Paris with other prominent writers -Would publish many books like The Sun Also Rises (1926), A Farewell to Arms (1929), For whom the Bell Tolls (1940), and The Old Man and the Sea (1952) -became famous for his travel and adventure not just in his books but in his life

Helen Hunt Jackson

-Wrote "A Century of Dishonor" -Post Mexican American War, she wrote 'Ramona' which also similarly addressed the mistreatment of Natives in southern california -Wrote a report encompassing ways to address the Mission Natives situation through government relief in southern California -In her trip to Southern California she also determined which lands to be viable for purchasing to become land for the Natives

Marcus Garvey

-a Jamacian political activist who formed the UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) -was not your typical activist; he was a black nationalist who was extremely prejudiced to mixed-race people and Jews. -Unlike most black people, Garvey actually supported segregation. He said that they needed to build up a strong race and to not seek the company of the white people -KKK members were willing to work with Garvey because he agreed with them on their beliefs that America should be a white-only country

William Westmoreland

-achieved the colonel rank while fighting in WWII. -Was a general for the US army during the Korean War. -American General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 -He used attrition warfare in an attempt to strain the North Vietnamese army, but this strategy was unsuccessful.

Henry Ford

-an American industrialist, founded the Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903. -He provided the first automobile that middle-class Americans could afford (with his Model A and Model T), allowing transportation to become more accessible. -In 1913, he implemented the assembly line technique of mass production ("Fordism"). This enabled an enormous increase in production and influenced other businesses and industries throughout the 20th century. -Although he opposed war, his company became a major supplier of weapons during WWI and WWII, like aircraft, trucks, etc.

John Steinbeck

-attended Stanford University from 1920-1926 but did not take a degree. -attempted to become a freelance writer before becoming a newspaper reporter. -'The Grapes of Wrath' (1939) is considered one of his finest novels, about a family from Oklahoma struggling to create a life for themselves in California, during the Great Depression exemplifying societal struggles during the time period. -served as a war correspondent during, during WWII. - received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.

Woodward and Bernstein

-both were reporters for the Washington Post. -They wrote articles on the Watergate scandals which eventually led to Nixon resigning from office. -were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for public service. -wrote All the President's Men not only entailing the Watergate scandals and Woodward and Bernstein's experience at the Washington Post. All the President's Men is considered to be a classic book of historical American journalism, showing reporters and corporate news organizations operate under critical pressure.

D.W. Griffith

-directed Hollywood's first blockbuster hit, The Birth of a Nation, on February 8, 1915. This film about the American Civil War and the Reconstruction era was controversial in its depiction of race relations and criticized. -He created many of the basic techniques of filmmaking, such as the scenic long shot, the close-up, and many more. -He directed more than 400 films. -His film career began as an actor in 1907

Fannie Lou Hamer

-in 1962, she answered a call by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee that challenged voter registration tactics that excluded African Americans. -received only up to a 6th grade education, so she failed a literacy test that prohibited her from voting, she became a registered voter in 1963. -In 1964, she co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party -She testified at the Democratic National Convention demanding to replace the Mississippi Democratic Party, she described how she was beat in jail.

Timothy Leary

-got his doctorate in psychology from the University of California Berkeley. -In the 1950s, he developed an egalitarian model for interaction between the psychotherapist and the patient. Other developments in group therapy and interpersonal behavior. -experimented with psychedelic drugs and concluded that they could "expand human consciousness". -was dismissed from Harvard by Andrew Weil as it was seen that he was only administering drugs to underclassmen.

Billy Sunday

-grew up an orphan and worked as an undertaker assistant prior to playing professional baseball. -became an ordained Presbyterian minister and conducted over 300 revivals. -his revival reflected on society's emotional upheavals into the industrial revolution. -advocated for women's suffrage, ending child labor, and revitalizing the black community. -raised millions for troops during WW1 to support the war effort.

Upton Sinclair

-is known for writing "The Jungle", a novel that exposed the realities of the people's working conditions in the industrialized cities. Although it was mainly written to spread awareness for the mistreated immigrants working in the United States meatpacking industry, it soon became a source of awareness for the OVERALL conditions of the factories, exposing the lack of sanitation in the processed meats. -In addition to "The Jungle", he also published other similar works such as " King Coal" (1917), which dug into the realities of the mining industry. He worked as a writer and cartoonist for living. After being sent undercover in 1905 by political newspaper company Appeal to Reason to investigate the Chicago stockyards, he found inspiration to draft "The Jungle" in 1906. -during his political campaign for Governor of California, he was also responsible for the End Poverty in California (EPIC) Movement, which pushed for social reforms and economic relief. This movement was catalyst for many ideas regarding social reform, and it was ultimately inspiration for Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal projects. -He wrote one of the first environmental awareness children books, "The Gnome Mobile", in 1936. Fun fact: In 1967, Walt Disney would use the story for a film of a similar name.

Joseph Glidden

-most famously known for inventing barbed wire by using a coffee mill, making him on of the richest men of his time -Before receiving his patent in 1874, Glidden spent a couple years as sheriff of DeKalb County -founded Northern Illinois University with 63 acres of his own land on his ranch -was portrayed in Back to the Future 3

Betty Friedan

-most well known for her book, The Feminine Mystique, written in 1963. Which displayed the frustrations of women in traditional roles. -co-founded the National Organization for Women in October of 1966, one of the biggest organization in the women's movement. She organized campaigns to legalize abortions, for the need to represent women in government, and for many other feminist causes. -helped to found the National Women's Political Caucus, the first organization devoted to helping women become involved in politics. -She became director of the First Women's Bank and Trust Company in 1973.

Zora Neale Hurston

-novel Their Eyes Were Watching God -Black writer who wanted to save African American folklore. She traveled all across the South collecting folk tales, songs & prayers of Black southerners. Her book was called Mules and Men. -A leader of the Harlem Renaissance and fought to protects the rights of African Americans -Due to her writings, she became the most successful and most significant Black women writers on in the beginning of the 20th century. -She grew up in Eatonville, the nation's first incorporated black townships -She wanted to break the color barrier and used her gift of writing to share with the world the injustice of racism

Alfred Sloan

-president of the General Motors company beginning in 1923, converting the initially scattered company into a major automotive business; he was not the founder, but elected through the company's latter. -invented an extremely effective method to sell the produced cars. He would divide the company down into five separate automobile factions, which manufactured cars with varying price ranges. Through this, he placed a new bar for the American automotive industry, as GMC could sell cars to anyone with any diverse interest. -was also a philanthropist, aiding a number of institutions throughout the 1900s, such as the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. -He established the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which provides funding for philanthropy institutions and technological/scientific research. The foundation also supported education and awareness of the engineering field. -was not the founder of GMC. He was initially the draftsman and general manager for the Hyatt Roller Bearing company before being merged by the United Motors company in 1916 by William Durant. From there, he was able to become the President of the United Motors Company, which was renamed as General Motors Company.

Alan Greenspan

-served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 1987-2006, nominated by Ronald Reagan -holds an honorary position at the HM Treasury in the United Kingdom -Before going to Colombia to earn his M.A in economics, Greenspan actually went to Juilliard for the saxophone -was loved by the American people -was said to be more like a rockstar than a government official.

Jack Dempsey

-set up boxing as a mainstream sport business in the United States. -Later on after he retired from boxing, he served in WWII -Eventually, in 1953 he was added to the Ring magazine's Hall of Fame. -Out of his 64 wins, he won 51 by knockout.

Susan B. Anthony

-she was a big abolition activist; gave many passionate public speeches against slavery which some viewed as improper for a women. -she worked with Elizabeth Cady Stanton for over 50 years to fight for women's rights. -she and Stanton formed the National Woman Suffrage Association to push for constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote. -was arrested for voting in 1872.

Nellie Bly

-started off her journalism career as a columnist, newspaper writer. -Bly moved to New York in 1886 to look for a better job; however, she found it found it extremely hard as a female. -She landed a job at the New York World due to her writing on a notable mental illness facility in New York, known as Ten Days in a Mad-House, making her one of the foremost female journalists in history. -After reading Around the World in 80 Days she was motivated to travel the world in which she did in only 72 days making it a world record. -When writing the Ten Days in a Mad-House, she pretended she was mentally ill

Emmet Till

-was murdered for being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant in her family owned store -His killers were Roy Bryant (Carolyn's husband) and his brother J.W. William -was found in the Tallahatchie River, shot, wrapped in barbed wire to a metal fan. He was recognized by his father's ring with engraved initials. -his mother, Mamie Till hosted an open casket funeral at Robert's Temple Church of God, where his body was on display for 5 days so people could come witness severities of the committed hate crime. -Roy Bryant and J.W. Williams admitted to killing Emmett but they were protected by double jeopardy laws.

Gerald Ford

-was the 38th President of the United States and held office from 1974-1977. -Efforts to stabilize the economy through his support of the Whip Inflation Now program. -Announced the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and brought 500,000 US troops and vietnamese citizens back to the United States. -Met with European and Soviet representatives at the Helsinki Accords in 1975 in order to establish security and boundaries throughout Europe.

Huey Long

-was a governor and senator of Louisiana in the 1930s. -was against big business and the rich, and often fought for the poor or less fortunate. -came up with the "Share Our Wealth" program which was the idea of spreading and disturbing wealth among the people. -In 1935, he was shot dead at the age of 45 by Carl Weiss.

Elvis Presley

-was an American singer who popularized the music genre of rock and roll. -Through his music, he was able to transform the entertainment industry, as well as make societal changes. Though the South was heavily segregated in the 1950s, he was able to break through these racial barriers and make African-American music more accessible. -In the early stages of his career, many white Americans disliked him because of his controversial performance style and the fact that he supported the African-American community. However, African-Americans viewed him in a positive light as he constantly credited them for the origin of rock and roll. He stated in an interview, "... A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock 'n' roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like [African-Americans]". -He permanently changed pop culture through his music, personality, clothing, (even hairstyle!) and by fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues. His contributions have triumphed throughout the years and captivated all of America and countries across the world.

Jane Addams

-was an activist and an author but she was most well known for her presence in the Women's Suffrage movement and the Settlement Movement -She co-founded the Hull House in Chicago where women and activists worked to fight against child labor, and fought for Women's Suffrage and employee safety and compensation laws. -She was the first American Woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize -She also lectured and taught courses at the University of Chicago

Albert Einstein

-was famous for his research on quantum mechanics and his theories on gravity and motion. - won a Nobel Prize for physics in 1921 for his discovery of the photoelectric effect -best known for his equation E=mc^2 -also helped develop a theory of special and general relativity, which help expand those previous theories that had been set forth by Isaac Newton.

James Meredith

-was initially in the U.S. Air Force before attending Jackson State College, an all-Black school. -Afterward, he became the first African American Student who attended the University of Mississippi. Initially, the state refused Meredith to attend the school, but after violent protests in the campuses (i.e. Ole Miss Riot of 1962), the university admitted him. -While attending more universities, he started the "March Against Fear" in 1966, which was a protest march that spanned from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. -He was shot by a sniper early in the event, but it was fortunately unfatal. The attempted assasination of Meredith motivated many civil rights activists to continue the march, and he eventually returned after hospitalization. -In 1972, Meredith was criticized -for the sake of his political agenda- for supporting non-Civil Rights advocates. For instance, he supported David Duke's campaign to become governor of Louisiana (David Duke was a former KKK member). To summarize, he continued to be a political influence throughout the 20th century. -Prior to his activism, he served in the Air Force from 1951-1960 before attending the Jackson State College. From there, he repeatedly challenged the University of Mississippi, who initially denied him due to his race. -He is still alive (Here's an opinion he wrote with William Doyle in December 2020).

Amelia Earhart

First woman to 'fly' across atlantic and in 1928, she became the first woman solo fly a round trip across the North American continent. Became a career counsel for women students as well as a faculty member at purdue at Purdue Member of the national woman's party and supported equal rights Helped in forming the 99s, a organization that works to help female pilots