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Benjamin Franklin
He played an important role as one of seven Founding Fathers, helping draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Benjamin is often called the “First American.” -
Thomas Jefferson
He was a draftsman of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; the nation's first secretary of state (1789-94); second vice president (1797-1801); and, as the third president (1801-09), the statesman responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. -
Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Dix was a social reformer whose devotion to the welfare of the mentally ill led to widespread international reforms. After seeing horrific conditions in a Massachusetts prison, she spent the next 40 years lobbying U.S. and Canadian legislators to establish state hospitals for the mentally ill. Her efforts directly affected the building of 32 institutions in the United States. -
Fredrick Douglas
Famed 19th-century author and orator Frederick Douglass was an eminent human rights leader in the anti-slavery movement and the first African-American citizen to hold a high U.S. government rank. -
Mary McLeod Bethune
Mary McLeod Bethune was an educator and activist, serving as president of the National Association of Colored Women and founding the National Council of Negro Women.She believed that education provided the key to racial advancement. -
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only U.S. president to be elected four times. He led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II. He was the 32nd American president who led the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, greatly expanding the powers of the federal government through a series of programs and reforms known as the New Deal.
