Famous Americans

Politicians Thomas PaineThomas Paine-Wrote -Wrote Common Sense Common Sense which called for which called for

independence from Britainindependence from Britain

Alexander Hamilton

FederalistFederalist Sec. of Treasury-Sec. of Treasury-

Bank of U.S.Bank of U.S.

John Marshall

Chief Justice of Chief Justice of Supreme Court; Supreme Court; decisions helped decisions helped increase power of increase power of federal gov’tfederal gov’t

established judicial established judicial reviewreview

Douglas MacArthur

Led U.S. occupation Led U.S. occupation of Japan after WWIIof Japan after WWII

Led UN troops during Led UN troops during Korean WarKorean War

dismissed by Pres. dismissed by Pres. Truman for Truman for disagreeing with himdisagreeing with him

                                             

Joseph McCarthy

Senator who led Senator who led anti-communist anti-communist movementmovement

claimed there were claimed there were communists in communists in State Dept. and State Dept. and U.S. ArmyU.S. Army

Thurgood Marshall

Head lawyer for Head lawyer for NAACP during NAACP during Brown v. Board of Brown v. Board of EdEd

first African-first African-American Supreme American Supreme Court justiceCourt justice

Sandra Day O’Connor

11stst female Supreme female Supreme Court JusticeCourt Justice

Businessmen

Henry FordHenry Ford automobile automobile

manufacturermanufacturer used assembly line used assembly line

and interchangeable and interchangeable partsparts

made Model T made Model T affordableaffordable

John Rockefeller

industrialist who industrialist who had monopoly in had monopoly in oil industry oil industry [Standard Oil [Standard Oil Company]Company]

philanthropistphilanthropist

Andrew Carnegie

industrialist who industrialist who had monopoly in had monopoly in steel industry steel industry [Carnegie Steel][Carnegie Steel]

philanthropistphilanthropist defended Social defended Social

DarwinismDarwinism

Bill Gates

BusinessmanBusinessman software developer software developer

[Microsoft][Microsoft] philanthropistphilanthropist

Reformers

William Lloyd William Lloyd GarrisonGarrison AbolitionistAbolitionist published anti-published anti-

slavery slavery newspaper newspaper The The LiberatorLiberator

Frederick Douglas

AbolitionistAbolitionist former slaveformer slave published published The The

North StarNorth Star also spoke for also spoke for

women’s rightswomen’s rights

Harriet Tubman

AbolitionistAbolitionist helped slaves helped slaves

escape by the escape by the Underground Underground RailroadRailroad

Booker T Washington

African American African American educator and scientisteducator and scientist

founded Tuskegee founded Tuskegee InstituteInstitute

felt Blacks should felt Blacks should earn equality through earn equality through education and hard education and hard workwork

WEB Du Bois African American African American

civil rights leadercivil rights leader founder of NAACPfounder of NAACP opposed Booker T opposed Booker T

Washington’s Washington’s viewpointviewpoint

influenced Harlem influenced Harlem Renaissance by Renaissance by stressing pride in stressing pride in heritageheritage

Jane Addams Founder of Hull Founder of Hull

House in Chicago House in Chicago [settlement house [settlement house for immigrants]for immigrants]

supported supported women’s rightswomen’s rights

won Nobel Peace won Nobel Peace PrizePrize

Jacob Riis

MuckrakerMuckraker exposed poor exposed poor

conditions of slums conditions of slums and tenementsand tenements

wrote wrote How the How the Other Half LivesOther Half Lives

Dorothea Dix

social reformersocial reformer worked for worked for

improved treatment improved treatment of mentally illof mentally ill

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

SuffragetteSuffragette organized the organized the

Seneca Falls Seneca Falls ConventionConvention

president of the president of the National Woman National Woman Suffrage Suffrage AssociationAssociation

Susan B Anthony

SuffragetteSuffragette Leader of women’s Leader of women’s

rights movementrights movement

Samuel Gompers

Labor leader Labor leader organizer of the organizer of the

American American Federation of Labor Federation of Labor [skilled labor [skilled labor union]union]

Rosa Parks

ActivistActivist refusal to give up refusal to give up

bus seat lead to bus seat lead to 1955 Montgomery 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott- Bus Boycott- beginning of civil beginning of civil rights movementrights movement

Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights leaderCivil Rights leader use of civil disobedience use of civil disobedience

and non-violenceand non-violence founded Southern founded Southern

Christian Leadership Christian Leadership ConferenceConference

“ “I Have a Dream” speechI Have a Dream” speech won Nobel Peace Prizewon Nobel Peace Prize assassinated in 1968assassinated in 1968

Malcolm X Leader of Black Leader of Black

Power movementPower movement advocated black advocated black

separatism and use separatism and use of violence if of violence if necessarynecessary

assassinated in assassinated in 19651965

Cesar Chavez

Latino labor leaderLatino labor leader migrant farm workermigrant farm worker formed United Farm formed United Farm

Workers UnionWorkers Union organized grape organized grape

boycottboycott

                                                                                              

            

Rachel Carson

Biologist; wrote Biologist; wrote book book Silent SpringSilent Spring attacking use of attacking use of pesticidespesticides

stimulated stimulated environmental environmental movementmovement

Betty Friedan

Women’s rights Women’s rights activistactivist

wrote wrote Feminine Feminine MystiqueMystique (1963) (1963) which encouraged which encouraged women to work women to work outside the homeoutside the home

founded National founded National Organization of Organization of Women (1966) Women (1966)

Jesse Jackson

African American African American civil rights activistcivil rights activist

ran for presidentran for president served as diplomat served as diplomat

to negotiate with to negotiate with foreign leadersforeign leaders

Writers and Artists

Harriet Beecher Harriet Beecher StoweStowe Wrote Wrote Uncle Tom’s Uncle Tom’s

CabinCabin which increased which increased moral opposition to moral opposition to slaveryslavery

Upton Sinclair

MuckrakerMuckraker journalistjournalist wrote wrote The JungleThe Jungle

which led to Meat which led to Meat Inspection Act of Inspection Act of 1906 and Pure 1906 and Pure Food and Drug ActFood and Drug Act

Langston Hughes

African American African American author and poetauthor and poet

leading figure leading figure during Harlem during Harlem RenaissanceRenaissance

Duke Ellington

Jazz and Blues Jazz and Blues artist during artist during Harlem Harlem RenaissanceRenaissance

help popularize help popularize American music American music worldwideworldwide

Miscellaneous

Sacco and VanzettiSacco and Vanzetti Italian immigrants; Italian immigrants;

anarchistsanarchists executed for armed executed for armed

robbery and murder robbery and murder during the Red Scare during the Red Scare of the 1920sof the 1920s

cleared in 1977cleared in 1977

Eleanor Roosevelt

First ladyFirst lady political activist for political activist for

rights of African rights of African Americans and womenAmericans and women

helped create UN helped create UN Declaration on Human Declaration on Human Rights and UN Rights and UN commission on commission on Human RightsHuman Rights

Jackie Robinson

Professional Professional baseball playerbaseball player

first African first African American to play American to play for major league for major league baseball [Brooklyn baseball [Brooklyn Dodgers]Dodgers]