Civics_Ch14_info-2

**Part 2 - Impacts of Individuals**
Read the following passages on individuals who made an impact on Pennsylvania's history. Answer the key questions and fill in the blanks on your Internet guide.


 * **Benjamin Franklin:**One of the most important of the Founding Fathers. He was an apprentice to a printer, which means he was learning to be a printer by working in a printshop. He would eventually begin his own printshop and be the owner of several printshops in the colonies. Franklin wasn't always a beloved statesman and civic leader. He was seen as obnoxious and someone that people wanted to avoid. One of Franklin's friends told him that people would cross the street to avoid talking to him. Franklin was in disbelief but saw that it was true. At this point, Franklin decided to make some changes in his life and developed his 13 Virtues in which he worked hard on to change himself. It worked because Franklin became one of the most respected of our Founding Fathers. There's an important lesson to learn here - Franklin didn't set out to change the world, but rather change himself, which led to changing the world. Franklin was important to PA and America for numerous reasons:
 * In the French and Indian War, he convinced the colonies to unite against the French (remember the Join or Die motto).
 * In the Revolution, he was the one who voiced the colonists' concerns of there being taxation without representation. He signed the Declaration of Independence and also the Constitution having served as the peacekeeper at the convention. He had also signed the peace treaty with Britain from the Revolutionary War ending in American independence. He was instrumental in signing the alliance with France to get French assistance in the Revolution. He was the only Founding Father to sign those four documents (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, treaty with Britain, and alliance with France --- the most important documents related to the independence and growth of America).
 * Inventor - He invented the Franklin Stove improving heat and efficiency of wood fires; invented bifocals.
 * Civic leader - He created the first volunteer fire department, recruiting others into the bucket brigade. He founded an academy of learning in Philadelphia, which is now the University of Pennsylvania (NOT Penn State). He founded America's first public library. He revolutionized the mail service delivery of the colonies as the postmaster general by implementing home delivery and one-day service.
 * Business leader - He owned several print shops in the colonies having other run his businesses setting up the world's first franchise-type model, freeing himself from a day-to-day work routine. He printed the //Pennsylvania Gazette// and //Poor Richard's Almanac.//
 * **James Wilson:** He was part of the Continental Congress during the declaring of independence, therefore he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also part of the Constitutional Convention. He was one of only 6 people to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was one of the first 6 to be appointed by George Washington to be on the original Supreme Court. While on the Supreme Court, he came up with the idea to have law schools for students to learn the law and the Constitution. He wrote the first legal textbook for students. In one of his volumes he said good civil law was based on divine law (Bible was basis of a civic society). Though modern historical sources seem to exclude the importance of Wilson, he was one of the most important of the Founding Fathers.
 * **Robert Morris:** He led the financing of the Revolutionary War and was a leader in the establishment of the Bank of the United States after the war. He voted against declaring independence at first but with a close vote (4-3 in PA) he later didn't vote allowing the PA colony to agree to declare independence. He was one of its signers. Being in charge of financing the Revolutionary War made him one of the most important leaders during the Revolutionary War. He was part of the Constitutional Convention, but didn't speak often at the convention. His only recorded work was nominating George Washington to be the convention's president. He did work behind the scenes on parts of the Constitution. After the war, George Washington appointed him to be the first Secretary of the Treasury, but Morris turned down the appointment suggesting Washington give the position to Alexander Hamilton.
 * **Albert Gallatin:** He was the Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Jefferson and Madison. His accomplishments included reducing the national debt from the Revolutionary War and funding the purchase of the Louisiana territory (called the Louisiana Purchase) in 1803. He was also responsible for funding the Lewis and Clark expedition, which explored the Louisiana Purchase.
 * **James Buchanan:** He was the only president from Pennsylvania, but didn't have a good record as president. His policies failed to prevent the Civil War. He supported the Dred Scott Supreme Court Case decision that said slaves couldn't sue for their freedom and that slaves could be taken anywhere including free territory in the north and still be forced back into slavery. At the end of his term, the first southern states left the nation to form their own country - the Confederacy. He failed to stop this and the Civil War.
 * **Andrew Curtin:** He was the governor of Pennsylvania during the Civil War. He supported the policies of President Lincoln and the North's war effort. He led a conference of Union war governors in Altoona during the war.
 * **George Meade:** He was a Civil War general best known for being the general in charge of the Union that defeated the South's General Robert E. Lee in the turning point battle of the war - the Battle of Gettysburg.
 * **George B. McClellan:** He was also a Civil War general who had early successes in the western theater of the war securing the western counties of Virginia leading to the formation of West Virginia. He was a brilliant engineer and a highly capable organizer. He won one of the early important battles in the eastern theater (the more important theater of the war) at Antietam. However, he failed destroy Lee's army after capturing Lee's battle plans. This upset President Lincoln since Lee was able to escape and would therefore be removed from command. He ran against Lincoln for the president in 1864 (Lincoln's re-election), but lost.
 * **John Hartranft:** He was a Civil War soldier who enlisted to fight at the very beginning of the Civil War. Even though his enlistment was very short and he was able to go home after the first minor instances of fighting, he stayed and fought in the first major battle of the war - the First Battle of Bull Run, also called First Manassas. Since he stayed and fought even though his unit's enlistments were up, he won the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was also responsible for victory at Fort Stedman. He would later go on to serve as a two-term governor from PA.
 * **Thaddeus Stevens:** He was one of the most outspoken abolitionists in the Congress. He was an opponent of slavery and defended fugitive (runaway) slaves without charging them a fee (he was also a lawyer). He fully supported President Lincoln during the war and wrote much of the legislation that helped to fund the war effort. After the war, he favored Reconstruction policies that punished the South and worked to have full black equality. He proposed a resolution for the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson (who became president after Lincoln was assassinated) since President Johnson was more sympathetic to the South.
 * **Edwin Drake:** He owned a well in Titusville, PA. It was at this well where oil was first discovered in the U.S. in 1859. Oil would grow in importance and play a major role in the Industrial Revolution that took America into the 20th century as a world power.
 * **Andrew Carnegie:** He began the iron and steel industry in Pittsburgh. His steel business grew and he became a major part of the Industrial Revolution that took America into the 20th century as a world power. He came to America young as an immigrant without any wealth and through hard work built one of America's largest businesses.
 * **Rebecca Webb Lukens:** Her family owned a ironworks business. She inherited that business and turned it into one of the American Industrial Revolution's most successful enterprises. She was the first woman to head an industrial company in the U.S. Her mill was located in Coatesville, PA (in Chester County). She is listed as America's first CEO of an industrial company.
 * **Rachel Carson:** She wrote a book titled Silent Spring on the dangers that pesticides and insecticides have on the environment, especially the pesticide DDT. Her book set the stage for the environmental movement in the U.S.
 * **George Westinghouse:** He influenced the course of history by enabling the growth of the railroads through his inventions and by promoting the use of electricity for power and transportation. His electric company became one of the greatest organizations in the U.S. When radio was being developed he saw the possibilities and bought the first corporate radio business - KDKA - in Pittsburgh.
 * **John Audubon:** He was a famous artist and naturalist. //Birds of America// were some of his famous works. The Audubon Society is an environmentalist group named after him. This group, however, opposes industrial aspects that have made our nation strong and prosperous.
 * **Stephen Foster:** He is considered one of America's first great song writers. He wrote folk songs during the mid-1800s. Some of his songs included //Oh Susanna!// and //My Old Kentucky Home// as well as //Camptown Races//.
 * **Lucretia Mott:** She pushed against slavery and also pushed in favor of women's rights and is known for initiating the Seneca Falls Convention for women's rights along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
 * **General Anthony Wayne:** He was a famous Revolutionary War general who was known for his boldness. He was one of George Washington's most dependable generals during the war. Boldness was necessary to win victory, which is why Wayne was a very capable general.
 * **Robert Fulton:** He is best known for building the Clermont, which was the first commercially successful steamboat. This was in the early 1800s. River travel was becoming the main mode of shipping goods (this was before railroads were in major use around the country).

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