Harriet Beecher Stowe: Harriet Beecher Stowe, born in 1811, was an American abolitionist and author. Her most widely known book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, depicted the life of an African American during the time of slavery and the hardships they went through. Uncle Tom's Cabin was published all across the country as a novel, even being published into a play. The novel was very influential in the United States and the United Kingdom, pushing the anti-slavery forces in the northern United States and provoking the southern United States that were for slavery.
Charles Sumner: Charles Sumner, born also in 1811, was an American politician and a senator from Massachusetts. Sumner was best known for his friendship with President Lincoln; Lincoln sending him many letters so he could help pursue the equal compensation for wives and children of black soldiers who had given their lives in the cause of freedom. Lincoln sent Sumner the letters because of his title of senator of Massachusetts, knowing he would be able to help the cause. Sumner was a definite advocate of liberal causes, going as far as he could with the cause; even going far enough to make him almost lose his life because of his beliefs and his attitude toward it.
John Brown: John Brown, born 1800, was an American abolitionist as well. He had a strict belief that the only way to overthrow the institution of slavery was armed insurrection; the simple connotation being rebelling against the government with armed forces. Brown was very against the case of slavery and even attributed to many things such as: helping finance the publication of David Walker's Appeal and Henry Highland's "Call to Rebellion" speech, he gave land to fugitive slaves, e and his wife agreed to raise a black youth as one of their own and he also participated in the Underground Railroad and, in 1851, helped establish the League of Gileadites, an organization that worked to protect escaped slaves from slave catchers. Brown was very against slavery and all his actions helped prove his attitude toward it.
Stephen Douglas: Stephen Douglas, born 1813, was a U.S. politician and leader of the Democratic Party. Douglas was widely known for his idea of popular sovereignty to decide whether or not slavery was allowed in the colonies; eventually incorporating the idea into Kansas-Nebraska Act. Unfortunately, the act did not get the response he thought, and the northern colonies had a bitter outlook to the act, causing them to create their own political party: The Republicans.
Abraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln, born 1809, was the 16th president of the United States; serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln was widely known for many of the things he did, one being leading America through the Civil War; and afterwards, helping preserve the Union. Lincoln also was known for abolishing slavery by writing The Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves from the states not taken over by the Union. Lincoln also helped strengthen the national government and modernize the economy.
Jefferson Davis: Jefferson Davis, born 1808, was most popularly known for being appointed the President of the Confederate States during the Civil War. Davis paid a lot of attention to his presidential duties, but neglected his domestic politics and focused way more on military strategy, hurting him in the long run. Davis had many difficulties being president of the Confederate states, for one, Lincoln was president of the northern states and Lincoln could inspire the people of his states while Davis failed to do so. Davis lacked the qualities of Lincoln, therefore making him not nearly as good of a president as Lincoln.
Ulysses S. Grant: Ulysses S. Grant, born 1822, was the 18th president of the United States, after his successful role as a general in the second half of the Civil War. Outside of war, Grant wasn't very successful at anything, but after he joined the U.S. Army, his amazing talents as a soldier and leader shined through and his lacking in other places no longer mattered, instead his military strategics helped him help save his country from falling apart.
Robert E. Lee: Robert E. Lee, born 1807, was an American career military officer, most popularly known for leading the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War. One of Lee's greatest accomplishment was putting an end to the slave insurrection at Harper's Ferry, taking him only an hour to end John Brown's attempt at raiding it. Lee was well known for his brilliant and aggressive tactics, especially against more numerous and more talented armies. Lee was one of the most talented and most successful generals during the Civil War and is still remembered as a great hero of the southern cause.
William Tecumseh Sherman: William Tecumseh Sherman, born 1820, was a major military leader during the Civil War. He is known for being "one of the most widely renowned of the Union's military leaders, next to Ulysses S. Grant." Sherman started out being a small commander, and his first battle ended in loss. But Lincoln was impressed by Sherman's performance and promoted him to brigadier general, where eventually he came up with a new approach to war; "modern warfare." Modern warfare was Sherman's revolutionary idea of total destruction, and it was brought forth on the civilian population "in his armies way." Sherman was an extreme military leader, bringing destruction wherever he went.