Historical Research Library
Discover the people, events, and key documents that shaped the Founding Era.
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George III
King of Great Britain viewed as a tyrant by colonists and a symbol of imperial rule
Person
Patrick Henry
A leading figure in the Revolutionary era in Virginia, known for his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech
Person
David Humphreys
Revolutionary War veteran, poet, and abolitionist who advocated a new, uniquely American literature
Person
Belinda, Patty Gipson, Jemima Hunt
Little-known figures in the fight for the abolition of slavery
Person
Absalom Jones
Abolitionist, religious leader, and founder of the first Black Episcopal church in the United States
Person
Cuffee Wells, Romeo Smith, Peter Kiteredge
Black soldiers who fought for American independence as well as their rights as free men
Person
Henry Knox
A poor bookseller in Boston who became a close confidant of George Washington, a general, and first Secretary of War
Person
Lucy Knox
A daughter of eminent loyalists and wife of the Revolutionary War general Henry Knox
Person
John Laurens
South Carolina officer and close friend of Alexander Hamilton who advocated abolition and recruitment of Black troops
Person
Dolley Madison
The influential First Lady who saved the portrait of George Washington during the War of 1812
Person
Hercules Mulligan
Irish immigrant who befriended Hamilton and served as a spy for Washington in British-held New York City
Person
Margarita (Peggy) Schuyler Van Rensselaer
Youngest daughter of Philip Schuyler who married Stephen Van Rensselaer III, a wealthy and prominent New Yorker
Person