Colonial Period

Before the United States, thirteen separate colonies settled throughout the eastern coast of North America. As separate communities with their own goals and needs, they were not created to join together. However, external forces during the 1770s pushed these colonies to form the United States of America.

Paul Cuffe: Commerce, Conscience, and Civic Duty

Paul Cuffe, shipowner, abolitionist, and civic leader. Paul Cuffe believed citizenship carried obligations as well as rights. Born ...

Benjamin Banneker: Science, Citizenship, and the Republic

Benjamin Banneker, astronomer, writer, and civic contributor. Benjamin Banneker was born free in 1731 on a small farm ...

Elizabeth Freeman: Claiming Freedom Through Law

Elizabeth Freeman, whose court case helped end slavery in Massachusetts. Elizabeth Freeman—often remembered by the name Mum Bett—did ...

Prince Whipple: Enslaved Soldier in the Fight for Liberty

From Africa to Enslavement in New England Emanuel Leutze’s famous painting includes a Black figure widely believed to ...

Prince Hall: Civic Leadership in the American Founding

Prince Hall was born around 1735, likely in Boston, Massachusetts, into a society that limited opportunities for African ...

Arthur Middleton: South Carolina Patriot and Signer

Arthur Middleton was a South Carolina planter and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. A South Carolina ...

Benedict Arnold: From Revolutionary Hero to Traitor

Benedict Arnold was once celebrated as a Revolutionary War hero before his betrayal reshaped his legacy. A Connecticut ...

“Mad Anthony” Wayne and the Courage to Win Independence

A portrait of Anthony Wayne, whose bold leadership earned him the nickname “Mad Anthony.” In the long struggle ...

Catharine Macaulay: A Voice for Civic Liberty

When Americans reflect on the Founding Generation, they often picture figures who lived and worked in the colonies. ...

Button Gwinnett: A Story of Ambition, Revolution, and Tragedy

Button Gwinnett’s story begins far from the battlefields of the American Revolution — in the rolling countryside of ...

Catherine Moore Barry — Unsung Hero of the American Revolution in South Carolina

When we think of the heroes of the American Revolution, we often picture generals, muskets, and sweeping battles. ...

The Bill of Rights: How the First Ten Amendments Came to Be

The Bill of Rights — the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution — remains one of the ...