Industrial Leaders and Politicians

Jean Jacques Rousseau  Came up with the Social Contract Idea: Contract Between Government and People -Self Government  1762

Adam Smith  Created the idea of Free Trade: Laissez- Faire 1776

Thomas Jefferson  Wrote the Declaration of Independence,  Contributed to the Constitution  1776

Odd Fact  Thomas Jefferson died on July years after the Declaration of Independence.  One of his best friends John Adams, died the same day, his last words were- “ At least Jefferson lives” Jefferson had died five hours before

James Madison  Co-wrote the US Constitution  Wrote the Bill of Rights to the American Constitution: freedom of speech, press etc..  1781

George Washington  Commanding General of the American forces of the American Revolution  First President  of the United States  1789

Washington Myth  Did George Washington really chop down the cherry tree?  No. Parson Mason Weems, an early biographer of George Washington, invented the story. Ironically, Weems made up the story of a young George Washington saying to his father, "I cannot tell a lie," to illustrate Washington's honesty. This is, perhaps, the most enduring story about George Washington - one that school children for the last 200 years can repeat - but it is, in fact, a myth.

Washington Myth  Did George Washington wear wooden teeth?  No. This is one of the most enduring myths about George Washington. He had false teeth, but they were not made of. They were made of cow's teeth, human teeth, hippopotamus tusk and elephant ivory set in a lead base with springs that allowed him to open and close his mouth. They fit poorly and distorted the shape of his mouth.

Napoleon Bonaparte  Emperor of France, Reorganized French government, military and education   1804

Slave to Fashion  Napoleon noticed his officers had the habit of wiping their noses with their jacket sleeves. To stop that practice, he ordered buttons sewn on their jacket sleeves.  This is why men’s sportcoats and suits have sleeve buttons.

Napoleon’s Death  Some scientists believe that Napoleon was poisoned with arsenic, by his Butler

Simon Bolivar  The “George Washington” of South America  Created the independent countries of Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia  1819

Karl Marx  Creator of Communism  Author of the “Communist Manifesto” – the Communist handbook  1848

Benito Juarez  President of Mexico who attempted to clean up the corruption of the Mexican government under Santa Ana   1861

Otto Von Bismarck  Chancellor of Germany, reorganized German government, created the modern welfare state, public education - kindergarten  1871

Mohandas Gandhi  Leader of the Indian Independence Movement, Believed in the idea of nonviolent protest. Eventually helped gain Indian Independence after WWII 1914

Vladimir Lenin  Leader of the Russian Bolshevik Revolution which overthrew the reign of Nicholas II, He created the Communist Soviet Union  1917

Lenin’s Tomb  After Lenin’s death in 1924, he was embalmed and placed in a tomb where the public could visit him. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Moscow.

Joseph Stalin  Brutal Leader of the Soviet Union, Lead the Soviets against Hitler in WWII, killed millions in his pursuit of control   1924

Benito Mussolini  Creator of Fascism  Created a dictatorship in Italy in 1922, allied with Hitler in WWII.  “Il Duce”  1922

Adolf Hitler  Elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933 LL eader of the Nazi Party in Austria and then Germany BB egan WWII in 1939 11 933

Winston Churchill  Prime Minister of England during WWII, Helped lead England against Hitler, After WWII, helped form the United Nations, called the Soviet Bloc the Iron Curtain  1940

David Ben ‑ Gurion  First prime minister of Israel, regarded as the father of his country. 1948

Mao Tse Tung  Communist Leader of China, Created the Current government in China, killed millions in his Western purges of the 1960's  1949

Ho Chi Minh  Communist Leader of the Vietnamese Revolution, controlled the Viet Cong- Vietnamese Communists  Major Enemy of France and US during Vietnam Conflict  1954

Fidel Castro  Current leader of Cuba, created the Communist government in Cuba by overthrowing the dictator General Batista 1959