American Heroes

American Heroes is an anthology of 50 biographical portraits of key American figures-people whose heroism has in some way shaped American society. This group of great Americans was not famous or successful merely by the standards of their own time. Something about their achievements, whether familiar or not, transcends their time to make their greatness resonate throughout history. These American heroes, either as household names or through contributions that we recognize even though the contributors are not as well known, have become woven into the fabric of American myth. Their achievements are diverse, but we recognize their spirit as uniquely American. The biographical profiles are either two, four, or six pages each and include a lively and informative biography of the subject, a fact box for easy reference, a full-page portrait of the individual in either artwork or photography (depending on the period), pull-out quote excerpts from the subject's speeches or writings, and additional images from the figure's life or times. An extensive bibliography and resources section offers report writers a road map to further research. The subjects are organized chronologically by major periods in American history covering the American past from settlement to the 20th century. Each grouping features an introductory spread that places the figures within into a chronological historical context, summarizing the ways in which they've impacted American society. As times change, so do our heroes. The book's organization evokes texture and context and shows how American heroes emerged in response to the events of their time-and how they made a difference to their times. Some heroes were recognized in their own day; some were not, but all offer reasons to inspire us today. The selection of heroes covers a broad base of achievements and accomplishments, from leaders who were Presidents, generals, or Indian chiefs to dreamers who envisioned a brighter future through innovation, invention, or imagination and then helped bring it about. Many heroes fought injustice by speaking up when too many were silent and called attention to wrongs, then fought to right them. And some simply went places no one had ever been before-or even dreamed might be possible. From Sacagawea to Jackie Robinson, from Albert Einstein to Susan B. Anthony, the inspirational stories of these American giants make for compelling reading and essential reference. This celebration of American achievement and history through biography is a fascinating way of looking at the country's greatest and most lasting resource-its people. American Heroes Master List A NEW WORLD FROM MANY OLD WORLDS: Beginnings to 1763 1. Pocahontas, 1595-1617, Indian Princess and cultural ambassador (2) 2. William Penn, 1644-1718, Quaker, proponent of religious freedom (2) 3. Anne Hutchinson, 1591-1643, religious leader and American pioneer (2) A REVOLUTIONARY AGE: 1763-1789 4. Ben Franklin, 1706-1790, printer, writer, scientist, statesman (6) 5. Thomas Paine, 1737-1809, revolutionary philosopher and writer (4) 6. George Washington, 1732-1799, First President (4) 7. Abigail Adams, 1744-1818, First Lady, letter writer (2) THE NEW REPUBLIC: 1789-1848 8. George Mason, 1725-1792, Bill of Rights champion (4) 9. Lewis & Clark: Meriwether Lewis, 1774-1809, William Clark, 1770-1838, explorers (6) 10. Sacagawea, ?1784-?1812, Shoshone interpreter and guide (2) 11. Tecumseh, c. 1768-1813, Native American statesman and warrior (2) 12. Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), 1774-1847, horticulturalist and missionary, (2) A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM: CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION, 1848-1877 13. Sojourner Truth, 1797-1883, abolitionist (2) 14. Harriet Tubman, c. 1820-1913, slave, Underground Railroad guide (4) 15. Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865, 16th President (4) 16. Clara Barton, 1821-1912, humanitarian, founder of the American Red Cross (2) 17. Mary Edwards Walker, 1832-1919, Civil War doctor (2) 18. Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895, writer, abolitionist (4) 19. Susan B. Anthony, 1820-1906, woman suffrage crusader and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1815-1902, woman suffrage crusader (6) INDUSTRY AND EMPIRE: 1876-1900 20. Sitting Bull, c. 1831-1890, Sioux leader (4) 21. Chief Joseph, 1835-1904, Nez Perce chief (2) 22. Andrew Carnegie, 1835-1919, industrialist and philanthropist (4) 23. Queen Liliuokalani, 1838-1917, last Hawaiian monarch (2) 24. Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, inventor and educator (telephone) (6) 25. George Washington Carver, c.1864-1943, black scientist, agricultural research (4) PROGRESSIVISM AND THE NEW DEAL: 1900-1941 26. Wright Brothers: Orville, 1871-1948; Wilbur 1867-1912, aviation pioneers, inventors (4) 27. Teddy Roosevelt, 1858-1919, 26th President (2) 28. Jane Addams, 1860-1935, humanitarian, first woman recipient of Nobel Peace Prize (2) 29. MATTHEW HENSON, 1866-1955, black polar explorer and adventurer (2) 30. W.E.B. DuBois, 1868-1963, African-American scholar (2) 31. Mary McLeod Bethune, 1875-1955, black educator, humanitarian, civil rights activist (2) 32. Helen Keller, 1880-1968, writer, lecturer, advocate for the deaf and blind (4) 33. Alice Paul, 1885-1977, suffragist (2) 34. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1882-1945, 32nd President (4) 35. Charles Lindbergh, 1902-1974, first solo Atlantic flight (4) 36. Amelia Earhart, 1897-1937, aviator (4) WAR, PROSPERITY, AND SOCIAL CHANGE: 1941-present 37. Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, physicist and humanist (4) 38. Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884-1962, humanitarian, UN diplomat, First Lady (6) 39. Dorothy Day, 1897-1980, radical social reformer, Catholic Worker Movement (2) 40. Margaret Mead, 1901-1978, anthropologist (2) 41. Rachel Carson, 1907-1964, marine biologist, environmentalist, writer (2) 42. Thurgood Marshall, 1908-1993, lawyer, first African-American Supreme Court justice (4) 43. Rosa Parks, 1913- , civil rights activist (2) 44. Jonas Salk, 1914-1995, scientist, cure for polio (2) 45. Jackie Robinson, 1919-1972, baseball player, civil right pioneer (4) 46. John Glenn, 1921- , astronaut, first to orbit Earth, Senator (2) 47. Malcolm X, 1925-1965, black nationalist and Muslim leader (4) 48. Cesar Chavez, 1927-1993, Labor leader (4) 49. Martin Luther King, 1929-1968, civil rights leader (6) 50. Roberto Clemente, 1934-1972, baseball player, humanitarian (2) The number in parentheses following each name indicates the number of pages allocated.