Historical figures 3.16

Christopher Columbus He was trying to look for a shorter trade route to India and found the Americas. He is given credit for discovering America even though Native Americans were already there.

Benjamin Franklin He is considered a Founding Father of our country because he helped to write our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was an inventor of many things like bifocal glasses and the Franklin stove. He proved that lightning was a form of electricity by using a kite and metal key.

When was Benjamin Franklin born? When did he die? About when did he become an apprentice at a printing shop? About when did he do his kite experiment?

George Washington 1st president of the United States Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution Founding father of the United States of America

Why were the colonist unhappy with British rule? What did they decide to do about it? When was George Washington elected president? What was George Washington known as?

Daniel Boone An American pioneer, explorer, woodsman, and frontiersman, whose frontier exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States.

Nancy Ward Was a Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, which means that she was allowed to sit in councils and to make decisions, along with the chiefs and other Beloved Women. Believed her people, the Cherokees, and the Europeans could live peacefully together. She worked toward that goal.

When was she awarded the title “Beloved Woman”? How old was she when she died?

Thomas Jefferson An American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Was elected the second Vice President of the United States and the third President.

How did Jefferson inspire people?

Betsy Ross Is widely credited with making the first American flag in 1776.

When was Betsy born? When did she die? How many husbands did she have in her lifetime? When did she make the first flag?

Noah Webster Most known for creating the Webster’s Dictionary. Father of American Scholarship and Education.

Abraham Lincoln 16th president. Abolished Slavery. Was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865.

Abraham Lincoln Click the link below to have a book read to you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDrrrYOy9Pc Answer the questions below after watching. 1. Why was he called Honest Abe? 2. What can you learn from Abraham Lincoln?

Susan B. Anthony February 20, 1820 – March 13, 1906 Was an American social reformer and feminist who played a pivotal role in the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Why do you think Susan B. Anthony spent her life trying to change how women were treated? Other than Women’s suffrage, what did she work to end? What does that tell you about her?

Harriet Tubman Was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and, during the American Civil War, a Union spy. Best-known for her efforts against slavery and with the Underground Railroad.

What does this poem tell you about Harriet Tubman? What kind of person was she?

Geronimo Was a prominent leader from the Bedonkohe band of the Chiricahua Apache tribe. Considered a hero by his people and an outlaw by the United States government.

Using this newspaper article, what was public opinion of Geronimo?

George Washington Carver Was an American botanist and inventor. Best known inventions include inventions with peanuts. Created the idea of crop rotation. Watch http://mrnussbaum.com/african- americans/george_washington_carver/

Georgia O’Keefe An American artist. Best known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. Recognized as the "Mother of American modernism“ Read http://artsmarts4kids.blogspot.com/2008/10/georgia- okeeffe.html

Amelia Earhart An American aviation pioneer and author. The first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for this record.

When was Earhart born? When did she take her first plane ride? When did she become the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean? How long was it between the time she became the first female to cross the Atlantic and the time she disappeared?

E.B. White Elwyn Brooks "E. B." White was an American writer. Most known for his books “Charlotte's Web,” “Stuart Little,” and many more. Read http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/white.html

Rosa Parks An African American civil rights activist, whom the United States Congress called "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement.” Read and discuss http://www.k12reader.com/civil-rights- worksheets/Civil_Rights_Biography_Parks.pdf

Martin Luther King Jr. Was an American Baptist minister, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

How old was Martin Luther King Jr. when he married his wife? When did he win the Nobel Peace Prize? Where was he killed? At what age? Why do you think he was killed?

Dian Fossey Was an American zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist who undertook an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups over a period of 18 years. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkpQ8FsEQdU

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II An American politician serving as the 44th President of the United States The first African American to hold the office.

When was Barack Obama elected president? What was his job before he was elected president?