John J. Pershing (1860-1948) WHO S/HE WAS: American military successes in World War I were largely credited to Pershing, and he became the most celebrated American leader of the war. Pershing was regarded as a mentor of American generals who led the United States Army in Europe during World War II, including George C. Marshall,
Francisco “Pancho” Villa (1878-1923) WHO S/HE WAS: Francisco “Pancho” Villa was a Mexican rebel and one of the most prominent figures of the Mexican Revolution. WHAT S/HE SAID: My sole ambition is to rid Mexico of the class that has oppressed her and given the people a chance to know what real liberty means. And
Victoriano Huerta (1854-1916) WHO S/HE WAS: General Victoriano Huerta was a military leader, counter-revolutionary, and dictatorial President of Mexico for seventeen months, beginning in 1913. WHY S/HE MATTERED: Although Huerta’s military government took control over civilian life, he significantly increased spending for education particularly for indigenous Mexicans, set up an agricultural ministry, favored British oil
Francisco Madero (1873-1913) WHO S/HE WAS: Mexican revolutionary and president of Mexico (1911–13), who successfully ousted the dictator Porfirio Díaz by temporarily unifying various democratic and anti-Díaz forces. He proved incapable of controlling the reactions from both conservative and revolutionaries that his moderate reforms provoked, however. WHY S/HE MATTERED: In death Madero’s name became a
Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) WHO S/HE WAS: Woodrow Wilson was the twenty-eighth President of the United States, in office 1913-1921. Like Roosevelt before him, Wilson regarded himself as the personal representative of the people. He developed a program of progressive reforms and asserted international leadership in building a new world order. In 1917 he proclaimed American
William Howard Taft (1860-1835) WHO S/HE WAS: William Howard Taft was the twenty-seventh President of the United States, a Republican and later the 10th Chief Justice of the United States. In his first and only term, President Taft’s domestic agenda emphasized trust-busting, civil service reform, strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission, improving the performance of the
T’Zu Hsi (1835-1908) WHO S/HE WAS: Tsu Hsi was popularly known in China as the West Dowager Empress. She was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, ruling over the Manchu Empire for 48 years from her husband’s death in 1861 to her own death in
Mark Twain (1835-1910) WHO S/HE WAS: Mark Twain was a famous author, satirist, essayist, newspaper contributor, and lecturer. He wrote about a myriad of topics, ranging from life along the Mississippi River, detailed in famous works such as _The Adventures of Tom Sawyer_ (1872) and _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ (1884), to a collection of
John Hay (1838-1905) WHO S/HE WAS: John Hay began his political career as Abraham Lincoln’s private secretary. He went on to serve as the U.S. secretary of state for both William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. WHAT S/HE SAID: It has been a splendid little war, begun with the highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence
Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) Theodore D. Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, a Republican and at 42 years old, the youngest person ever to be President. He was a Progressive reformer who sought to move the dominant Republican Party into the Progressive camp. He distrusted wealthy businessmen and dissolved monopolistic corporations as a
