Historical Research Library

Discover the people, events, and key documents that shaped the Founding Era. 

Singers and dancers focused on Chris Jackson playing George Washington

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Patrick Henry by George Bagby Matthews, oil on canvas, ca. 1891 (US Senate Collection)

Patrick Henry

A leading figure in the Revolutionary era in Virginia, known for his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech

Person
Colonel David Humphreys by Gilbert Stuart, ca. 1808-1810. (Courtesy Yale University Art Gallery)

David Humphreys

Revolutionary War veteran, poet, and abolitionist who advocated a new, uniquely American literature

Person
Thomas Jefferson, engraved by C. Tidout, based on a painting by Rembrandt Peale, 1801. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Thomas Jefferson

Principal author of the Declaration of Independence who became the third President of the United States after a controversial election

Person
Absalom Jones by Raphaelle Peale, 1810. (Courtesy Delaware Art Museum)

Absalom Jones

Abolitionist, religious leader, and founder of the first Black Episcopal church in the United States

Person
Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert Du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, based on a painting by Alonzo Chappel (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Marquis de Lafayette

French nobleman and American general during the American Revolution who was a key figure in the Franco-American alliance

Person
James Madison, by H. E. Hall and Sons, n.d. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

James Madison

Fourth President of the United States known as the “Father of the Constitution”

Person
Mrs. James Warren (Mercy Otis), by John Singleton Copley. ca. 1763. (Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)

Mercy Otis Warren

Patriot, playwright, and poet who chronicled the American Revolution and corresponded with Revolutionary War leaders

Person
George Washington, by Rembrandt Peale, ca. 1852 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

George Washington

The first President of the United States and a symbol of American independence and integrity

Person