Impact on America: Collective Biographies

Rejecting British authority and profoundly committed to the principles of liberty and justice as well as the land they called home, American colonists from all walks of life answered the resounding cry for independence and gave voice to the ideals in which they so passionately believed. The agents of the American Revolution included soldiers and generals who fought on the frontlines, statesmen who fought behind the scenes, and ordinary individuals who contributed what they could to the cause of freedom. Readers discover some of the notable military and political leaders of Revolution as well as some of the lesser-known figures instrumental to securing the country's future.

Nowhere can intricacies of the ideological, regional, and economic tensions that erupted into the American Civil War be better seen than in the individual actors who fought both on and off the battlefields and on either side for what they believed. While some vigorously struggled for emancipation, others vehemently resisted such a notion, while still others were motivated primarily by regional loyalties and the desire to preserve the only way of life they knew. This penetrating volume profiles many of the soldiers, generals, political leaders, and social activists who left indelible marks on the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, thereby altering the entire course of American history.

With their eyes set on distant horizons, explorers from across Europe-including Leif Eriksson, Sir Francis Drake, and Alexander von Humboldt-voyaged to the New World. They discovered the lands that would later be known as the Americas-motivated by curiosity, commercial interests, or scientific inquiry. These adventurers charted previously unknown territories, encountered, and often tragically exploited, native peoples, and changed the fate of the global landscape. The stories of these trailblazers and their remarkable journeys comprise this compelling volume.

In the wake of the American Revolution, the United States of America was faced with the task of evolving into an independent republic This move was facilitated by a number of visionaries who rose to the challenge of crafting what would become America's national ethos. Readers will be absorbed as this volume surveys the lives of the individuals responsible for some of the nation's earliest political, social, and cultural achievements.

Religious freedom, economic security, and the allure of a second chance drew thousands of settlers away from their European homeland to the shores of what would one day become the United States. Under their tireless watch, new colonies were established, new traditions, customs, and practices cultivated. This captivating volume profiles many of the individuals who sought to fulfill the promise of the New World, from explorers to religious and political leaders to writers who captured the spirit of the time, as well as those native inhabitants who strove both to preserve their ways of life and to peacefully coexist with the new settlers.

Following the end of the American Civil War, the country's landscape transformed dramatically as it experienced economic growth, saw the emergence of various progressive social movements, and engaged as never before in international affairs. The drivers of these changes included presidents, political and business leaders, social activists, inventors, writers, and artists. This engaging volume examines the lives of many of the noteworthy individuals of the time-including Andrew Carnegie, Susan B. Anthony, and Theodore Roosevelt-and the lasting influence they have had over time.