1. Historical Figures in America

2. Paul Revere Paul Revere The British are coming!! On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere took one of the most famous rides in history, letting other Patriots know that the British were on their way. The next day the Revolutionary War began. Born in Boston on January 1, 1735, this hero of independence was a silversmith. In the 1770s, Revere became a strong supporter of American independence. He was a member of the ‘Sons of Liberty’, a group of patriots. He joined with 50 other revolutionaries in the Boston Tea Party. He rode to Concord, Massachusetts, on April 16, 1775, to tell patriots to move their weapons. Two days later he rode to Lexington to tell the people that British troops would soon be there. The next day the Revolutionary War began and the patriots were ready.

3. Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony As a teacher, Anthony called for better pay for women teachers. She also worked to end slavery. Anthony and her family were Quakers and believed in peace among people. In 1851, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Together, they fought for voting rights for women. Anthony made speeches all over the U.S. Sadly, she died in 1906, before her dream came true. The 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. In 1979, the introduction of the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin made her the first woman to appear on U.S. money. Born in 1820, Susan B. Anthony spent her life fighting for women’s rights.

4. Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Born in February of 1817 in Maryland, Frederick Douglass knew the hardships of slavery and fought diligently to improve the rights of African-Americans. rights of African-Americans. Frederick was a slave with many owners. One would beat him daily, while the wife of another owner taught him how to read. Douglass ran away when he was 20 years old. Later, he bravely wrote about his life as a slave. He could have been arrested and sent back into slavery. He left for Britain and gave many speeches about the evils of slavery. He was an abolitionist who worked with Abraham Lincoln to gain justice for African- Americans. Later in life he worked for the U.S. Government.

5. Mary McLeod Bethune Born July 10, 1875 she was the daughter of freed slaves. She opened her own school that later grew into a college. She opened her own school that later grew into a college. Mrs. Bethune worked diligently with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to improve the lives of African- Americans. When she was young she walked 5 miles each day to get to school. She was determined to learn and to teach and help other African- Americans.

6. Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Roosevelt was paralyzed by Polio, yet was a very strong president. Roosevelt served longer than any other President. He held office during two great crises: the Great Depression of the 1930s and World War II. He contracted Polio in 1921, but with support from his wife he continued his political career. Roosevelt was a very strong President during very difficult times. He worked hard to help citizens in difficult situations. He tried very hard, but was never again able to walk again and he spent most of his time in a wheelchair. Franklin Roosevelt was a Senator, Governor, and our longest serving President. Roosevelt died in office in 1945, shortly after his fourth election.

7. Eleanor Roosevelt First Lady and Wife to Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was very shy, but worked diligently for civil rights and women’s rights. Eleanor helped her husband greatly by traveling when he could not because of his Polio. She met with many citizens that were living in poverty. Her experiences helped change laws and create The New Deal. Eleanor felt strongly about helping with the advancement of the poor, African-Americans, and women. She was a champion of civil rights and women’s rights. Eleanor believed that in order to understand other people and live in peace we must get to know people that were different from us.

8. Thurgood Marshall In 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court. An incredibly successful African-American Lawyer in the Civil Rights Era, he fought diligently for Equal Rights. His most important victory was in the Brown vs. Board of Education case which decided that segregation in schools was unconstitutional and wrong. From that point on public schools were integrated, so all children could go to school together and no longer went to separate and unequal schools. Thurgood worked with the NAACP, a civil-rights organization to help improve the rights of African-Americans.

9. Lyndon B. Johnson Born on August 27, 1908 in Texas Johnson became President after Kennedy was killed. Lyndon B. Johnson was born to a very poor family, but his grandfather knew he would be a Senator one day. Was a teacher for several years at a school with a lot of poverty. He was a Congressman, Senator, and Vice President before becoming President. Lyndon B. Johnson became president after Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. Lyndon Johnson wanted a “Great Society, ” ending poverty, racial prejudice and injustice. He passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protected African-Americans from discrimination and protected their right to vote.

10. Cesar Chavez A Mexican-American labor leader who used non-violent methods to fight for the rights of migrant farm workers. In 1968, Chavez organized a five-year "grape boycott," urging people to stop buying California grapes until farm workers had better pay and safer working conditions. Chavez went on many hunger strikes, refusing to eat until violence against strikers ended and until workers were given decent pay and rights. When Chavez was young he worked with his family as a migrant worker. He went to many different schools as a child. Chavez and his wife taught Mexican immigrants to read and organized voting registration drives for new US citizens.