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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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
Okieriete "Oak" Onaodowan as James Madison. Photo by Josh Lehrer using a camera lens from the mid-1800s.

Hercules Mulligan

Irish immigrant who befriended Hamilton and served as a spy for Washington in British-held New York City

Person
Thomas Paine, by Romney Illman & Sons (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Thomas Paine

Author of “Common Sense” and “The Rights of Man” who was influential in the American and French Revolutions

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