Can anyone give me the names of two important but non-mainstream figures in American history?

Question

I'm doing independent study and left an online AP class, but I'm continuing the syllabus on my own now that I've just about caught up. I was supposed to do Marcus Whitman, but he was pretty boring so I don't really want to do that.

I'm leaning towards Gouverneur Morris for one, but I have no idea about others. I'd like something from an area I don't know much about so I can't slack off on it.

My strong points are 1607-1789 and the Civil War. Even on the Civil War I'm not that great, I mostly know way too much about Lincoln.

I'm not asking anyone to do my homework for me, I'm just trying to make sure I'm prepared for the exam and practice my study skills. If you look through my answers you'll see that I'm against grubbing for homework and generally kind of know what I'm talking about.

I edited my question a bit too thoroughly...I have to write two research papers.

Answer 1

Samuel Gompers...founder of the American Federation of Labor and a very prominent figure in the labor union movement.

Margaret Sanger...promoter of birth control long before it became mainstream and founded the American Birth Control League which eventually became Planned Parenthood.

W.E.B. DuBois...African-American intellectual and writer of the early 20th century...helped found the NAACP and one of the early champions of civil rights

Answer 2

Albert Gallatin played an important role. He was the secretary of Smithsonian, and stopped an angered mob from burning down Pittsburg during the Whiskey Rebellion. There is also a school district named after him. (The Whiskey Rebellion was also a cause of the Civil War.) Gallatin convinced farmers to just pay the new Whiskey tax. But the farmers were striking back so they tar, feathered, and beat anyone who worked in the government, and also sometimes setting them on fire. One after one farmers were arrested, but very few recieved a death sentence. Albert Gallatin helped the cause, and during his time at Smithsonian, he was hired as the secretary and handled the money because he was trusted by many, and the President at that time also liked Gallatin and had him do errands. Hope this helps! Best Wishes, A.S.

Answer 3

Our first environmentalist, Johnny Appleseed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Appleseed
The Father of Computer Programming, Herman Hollerith
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Hollerith
Neither were political but both had significant impacts on American society.
If it must be political, my choice would be Ceasar Rodney. He made important contributions to the Revolution without a great deal of recognition.
http://www.colonialhall.com/rodney/rodney5.php

Answer 4

some yet no longer sufficient. i do no longer think of all people ever gets "sufficient" historic past! My preparation in historic past lined all eras and lands, yet then I also have a graduate degree in historic past, this is six years of extreme learn maximum individuals would not have. by using the time i replace into finished my seconday preparation (17 years previous) I had taken a minimum of four years of international and American historic past, so i replace into enormously lots-versed. regrettably immediately, the historic past this is being taught is fraught with political and social agendas from the apologist that have hijacked the preparation profession. Pilgrims, Slavery and the melancholy. Wow. If that's what you lined of yankee historic past, you need to think of us a enormously foul lot. The Pilgrims have been illiberal non secular followers that somewhat had little or no bearing on the eventual creation of the U. S.. Thank goodness! they seem to be a lovable tale for 6 twelve months olds however the Pilgrims are relatively hyped up of their impression on historic past. Slavery replace into not at all invented by using individuals and this is value in the shaping of the country comes no longer in the distinction of this is ending yet in the violent nature wherein it replace into ended. the U. S. replace into the only u . s . in the international in the mid-1800s that almost destroyed itself by using a significant, bloody and punctiliously avoidable conflict, no longer using come to a decision of the slave holders yet because of the vanity of the abolishonists. another u . s . freed slaves peacefully different than us, we destroyed 0.5 of the country and persisted in disenfranchising no longer purely the freed slaves yet their former masters to boot for properly over a hundred years. Ah the melancholy. that's a great one. lots of issues from our society, the two good and undesirable, got here out of that era. purely like our cousins in England, American historic past is obviously defined by using our wars. We chosen our wars properly and made beneficial we gained, this is till cutting-edge situations. properly, Vietnam isn't an exception. We have been battling the unfold of Soviet-Sino Communism, no longer Ho Chi Minh and in this subject we somewhat gained in Vietnam by using outlasting actual everyone however the destructive Vietnamese.

Answer 5

William H. Seward
Salmon P. Chase.

His 2 biggest rivals of the time

Answer 6

Kenneth Anger (filmmaker) and Woody Guthrie (songwriter).

Both have had tremendous influences upon American popular culture but have never been given the proper credit their influence is due.

Answer 7

Shirley Chisholm, black, female politician from the 70s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Chisholm

Thomas Paine, statesmen late 18th century
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine

Betty Friedan, author the "Feminine Mystique"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Feminine_Mystique

Answer 8

Try Mother Jones, she was the lady who stood up for the miners and got them a union.

Answer 9

You could try Charles Sumner or Frederik Douglass.

The latter is rather mainstream, but he is interesting.

Answer 10

yankee doodle.