George Washington the Military Leader George Washington is a man that needs to be introduced to very few people in the United States, having been among the few given the most credit for the birth of the United States of America through his military leadership during the American Revolutionary War. Washington was born in Westmoreland County Virginia in 1732 and died in Mount Vernon Virginia in 1799 and was involved in 3 wars; The War of Independence, the Quasi War, and the French and Indian War, going from Major to Colonel to Commander in Chief. It’s true that Washington is perhaps the most obvious choice when it comes to military leaders but when it comes to shaping American cultures and values no one surpasses the first president of the U.S.A. The reason that Washington was able to make such a big impact is because the words that he used to inspire the Continental Army, have been written in the records and continues to teach the children of today how to be patriotic and passionate Americans of tomorrow. Even though the Continental Army should have by no means stood a chance against the English, Washington and his comrades won the War of Independence through passion and will leaving an excellent model for the many military leaders to come. Had it not been for Washington’s military strength not only would the United States not have been the way it is right now but who knows if the United States would even exist had Washington not been the Commander in Chief. Thomas Jefferson the Philosopher Even though “Scholars in general have not taken seriously Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) as a philosopher”(Holowchak) the writings and speeches that Jefferson produced left a strong philosophical legacy in his absence. Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia in 1743, and died in Monticello Virginia in 1826, in his 83 years of living he drafted the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America, held many political positions including the third president of the U.S.A. and the first secretary of state. Jefferson was such a strong philosophical influencer on American cultures and values because he deeply understood that the birth of the United States as a nation was a symbol of freedom to all. His determination to make as strong an impact on society as possible is what lead him to be such a remarkable president and American. Not only did his strong philosophical ways show in his writings but it also showed in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence which is a very important document for the United States. His progressive philosophy has inspired many across the nation both philosophers and not through his true American spirit. Henry David Thoreau the Artist Henry David Thoreau is an author of many famous American texts such asWalden, an ideal transcendentalist, and one of the founders of civil disobedience, this all lead to him becoming the source of influence in many important Americans throughout the ages. He was born in 1817 in Concord Massachusetts and died in 1862 also in Concord Massachusetts, as an essayist and poet he travelled around from career to career until he discovered and decided to be a poet of nature. Artists tend to have the most direct impact to their audiences, so rather than only having a foundational impact on Americans such as military and political leaders they can truly influence the American cultures and values. Henry David Thoreau did this by choosing to stand up to a government that does not represent the American people's values. During the Mexican-American War Thoreau refused to pay his taxes because he acknowledged the purpose of the war as expansion of slavery which he was against. This refusal to obey the government for the purpose of standing by one’s own beliefs has carried on throughout the history of the United States and movement leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. even admitted that Thoreau was an inspiration to them. Andrew Carnagie the Business Man Of all the people who have had a strong influence on American people, no one has done it more directly and explicitly than Andrew Carnagie did with his bookThe Gospel of Wealth. Andrew Carnagie was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1835 and died in Lenox, Massachusetts in 1919, he came to the United States among the millions of other migrants, and rose to become one of the most profound philanthropists of all American History. Carnagie was not one to hide his origins, he was proud of the way he rose in the ranks to eventually become the richest man in the world, and he used his fame to teach other wealthy individuals how to use their wealth in the best ways. As a philanthropist, he set out to help low income communities as best as he thought he could with 1,689 libraries that he thought would educate the people and help them reach his level of wealth. Besides his own efforts Carnagie was determined to set the standard for philanthropists all around so that no wealthy man dies rich, because in Carnegie's eye’s that would be a disgrace. Theodore Roosevelt the Political Leader During his years as the president of the United States of America, Theodore Roosevelt exemplified the ideal political figure with his determination to do right by the people. Roosevelt was born in 1858 in New York, New York and died in 1919 in Oyster Bay, New York, and in his lifetime became the 26th president of the United States. His impact on American values and culture can be shown when he passed bills that brought to life organizations such as the Food and Drug Association. This is so because many political figures have been identified as putting their own priorities above the people, and when people like Theodore Roosevelt always place the benefit of the majority as their priority then it inspires many more political figures to be like him. Also when Roosevelt established the first National forest he was able to keep something from the past living in the United States to this day which has been able to make a big impact on many American’s life. Works Cited George Washington: “Washington's Military Career.”George Washington:George Washington's Military Career, 31 Oct. 2016,www.pages.drexel.edu/~cjd327/military.html. “George Washington.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 3 Dec. 2019, www.biography.com/us-president/george-washington. Henry David Thoreau: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Henry David Thoreau.”Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Oct.2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-David-Thoreau. Schneider, Richard J. “Life and Legacy.”The ThoreauSociety, www.thoreausociety.org/life-legacy. Andrew Carnegie: “Biography: Andrew Carnegie.”PBS, Public BroadcastingService, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/carnegie-biography/. History.com Editors. “Andrew Carnegie.”History.com, A&E Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009,www.history.com/topics/19th-century/andrew-carnegie. Thomas Jefferson: Holowchak, M. Andrew. “Thomas Jefferson.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 16 Dec. 2019,https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/jefferson/ Ellis, Joseph J. “Thomas Jefferson.”EncyclopædiaBritannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Nov. 2019,www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Jefferson. Theodore Roosevelt: Cooper, John Milton. “Theodore Roosevelt.”EncyclopædiaBritannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Oct. 2019,www.britannica.com/biography/Theodore-Roosevelt. “Theodore Roosevelt.”The White House, The UnitedStates Government, www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/theodore-roosevelt/.
