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George Washington
“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” General Henry Lee spoke this famous tribute when George Washington died.
During the American Revolution, Washington led the American colonies in the fight for independence from Great Britain. Washington was respected so much some people wanted him to be king. He refused. But Washington agreed to serve as the first president of the United States.
EARLY LIFE
Harriet Tubman
Who was the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad? That was Harriet Tubman. She rescued at least 300 people from slavery in the 1850s.
BORN A SLAVE
Harriet was born a slave on a plantation in Maryland. When she was 5 years old, she started working as a maid. At 12, she went to work in the fields. As a young woman, Harriet had to ask her master’s permission to marry John Tubman. John was a free black man.
James Madison
His wife Dolley once called him “the great little Madison.” Though short and slender, and often sickly, James Madison stands tall as an American leader.
In 1808, Madison was elected the fourth president of the United States. Even more importantly, Madison played a leading role in the creation of the Constitution of the United States. He helped design the system of government under which we still live today. He is often called the Father of the Constitution.
EARLY LIFE
James Madison was born in 1751. He grew up at Montpelier, his family’s estate in Virginia.
Immigration
Imagine living in a country torn by war. Or maybe you live in a place where there are few jobs and little chance to earn a living.
Your family decides to move—not to another town, but to another country. You and your family have become immigrants. People are immigrants when they move to a foreign country to make their homes.
THE MAIN CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION
People become immigrants for many reasons. The most common one is economic opportunity. Most immigrants are lured to other countries by the promise of jobs, farmland, or business opportunities.
James Monroe
It was a time of so few political battles that people called it the Era of Good Feelings. The years were 1817 to 1825. James Monroe was president of the United States, the nation’s fifth president. The United States was at peace at last after wars with Great Britain, and American politicians had stopped their bitter squabbling.
When Monroe was born, North and South America were ruled or claimed by European countries. By the end of Monroe’s presidency, much of the Americas had been freed of European control. A policy called the Monroe Doctrine declared that the United States would keep it that way.