Influential People in American History

Throughout history, there have been hundreds of people who have changed the world, who have changed the thought process of their countrymen, who have worked towards the development of their country and countrymen and these changes, they have brought about with their thoughts, ideas, inventions, political thoughts and so on. Some of you might be familiar with Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Newton, Einstein, Christopher Columbus, Nelson Mandela, Copernicus, and so on, whose ideas and thoughts have not only influenced the people of their own country but the whole world. Their ideas have led to various scientific inventions, freedom from colonial rule, founding of a new religion and so on. You can easily find out the list, but do you know about the most influential people in American history, people who have played a great role in the development of the country? Given below is a list which will help you know who all are responsible for the development of America.

People Who Helped Change the World

I know that you are eagerly waiting to know who are these influential people, but I am afraid you have to hold on to your patience for sometime while I give you a list of the top 10 people who had played a major role in the development of the nation.

Name	Contributions to American History
Abraham Lincoln	He was the 16th President of the United States, and a champion of human liberty. He successfully led America during the Civil War, abolished slavery and was also successful in preserving the Union.
Albert Einstein	He was a theoretical physicist, an author and a philosopher. He is mainly known for his theory of relativity, and is regarded as the 'Father of Modern Physics'.
Al Gore	He failed to be the US President in the year 2000 and his career was on the verge of getting over. But, as a spokesman for the Global Warming movement, he became the voice of the environmentalists and his ideas and actions moved hundreds of people into demanding American action to stop Global Warming.
George Washington	He was the first President of the United States and was the one who helped America to defeat the British during the American Revolutionary Wars. He is often referred to as the 'Father of America' and both he and Lincoln were known for their republican values, their sacrifices for the country and also for their civic and military leadership.
Benjamin Franklin	He was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. Besides that he was an author, a politician, postmaster, inventor, a statesman, and a diplomat. He is known for the invention of lightning rod, bifocals, the carriage odometer, the Franklin stove as well as the glass armonica. He is also known for forming the first public lending library and the first fire department in Pennsylvania.
Wright Brothers	The whole system of transport changed due to the Wright brothers. Oliver and Wilbur Wright were the first to build and fly the first airplane. This was their most important contribution not only to America but to the whole world.
Eleanor Roosevelt	Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of United States (1933 - 1945) when her husband Franklin D. Roosevelt was the President. She was the one who fought for improving the status of working women and also supported the formation of United Nations. The President called her as the 'First Lady of the World'.
Alexander Graham Bell	He was a scientist, inventor, innovator and an engineer. He is known for inventing the first practical telephone. He was also one of the founding members of the National Geographic Society.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt	He was the 32nd President of United States. He successfully led America during the great economic crisis and also during the Second World War.
Martin Luther King Jr	An activist and a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement for African Americans. Following Mahatma Gandhi's idea of non violence, he fought for the betterment of the African-Americans.

Apart from the table above, there are many more individuals who have helped shaped the world we know today. Let's see who they are.

Alexander Hamilton Andrew Carnegie Andrew Jackson Benjamin Spock Betty Friedan Bill Clinton Bill Gates Booker T. Washington Brigham Young Cyrus McCormick Dwight Eisenhower Earl Warren Eli Whitney Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elvis Presley Enrico Fermi Ernest Hemingway George W. Bush Frank Lloyd Wright Frederick Douglass Frederick Law Olmsted George Eastman George Gallup George Herman George Marshall Harriet Beecher Stowe Harry Truman Henry Clay Henry David Thoreau Henry Ford Herman Melville

Hillary Clinton Horace Mann Howard Schlutz J. P. Morgan Jackie Robinson James D. Watson James Fenimore Cooper James Gordon Bennett James K. Polk Jane Addams John Adams John C. Calhoun John D. Rockefeller John Dewey John Marshall John Quincy Adams John Steinbeck Jonas Salk Jonathan Edwards Joseph Smith Lewis and Clark Louis Armstrong Louis Sullivan Lyman Beecher Lyndon Baines Johnson Margaret Mead Margaret Sanger Mark Twain Mary Baker Eddy Michael Jordan Nat Turner

Noah Webster Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Oprah Winfrey P. T. Barnum Rachel Carson Ralph Nader Ralph Waldo Emerson Richard Nixon Robert E. Lee Robert Oppenheimer Ronald Reagan Ryan White Sam Goldwyn Sam Walton Samuel F. B. Morse Samuel Gompers Sergey Brin and Larry Page Stephen Foster Susan B. Anthony Theodore Roosevelt Ulysses S. Grant W. E. B. Dubois Walt Disney Walt Whitman Walter Lippmann William Faulkner William James William Jennings Bryan William Lloyd Garrison William Randolph Hearst Woodrow Wilson

Thus, these were some influential people whose thoughts and actions had a major impact on the people of America.