American Originals

Washington Irving was the first American to make a living as a writer, and during his prolific career he created such memorable characters as Rip Van Winkle and Ichabod Crane. He lived a fascinating life as writer, lawyer, diplomat, and world traveler.

The American artist George Catlin, who is known for his paintings of American Indians, proposed the creation of National Parks decades before they became a reality.

George Perkins Marsh was the author of Man and Nature, a book published in the mid-1800s which made a strong case for conservation. A brilliant mind and a lover of nature, Marsh, who served as an American ambassador, observed how man was impacting the earth and he argued, far ahead of his time, for conservation to protect the environment.

Margaret Fuller was an early feminist writer and editor and an important member of the New England Transcendentalist circle. She counted among her friends Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Following her stint editing The Dial, the magazine of the transcendentalists, she worked as a correspondent for Horace...

The Scottish born naturalist John Muir explored in the western United States in the late 1800s and is always associated with California's Yosemite Valley. Muir's advocacy for conservation and his moving writings on the subject led to the conservation movement and was a major factor in the establishment of the United States National Parks.

Aaron Burr was constantly drawn to controversy, and his shooting of Alexander Hamilton in a duel is only part of his peculiar life story. Burr was involved in one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history, served unhappily as vice president to Thomas Jefferson, and after shooting Hamilton he embarked on an expedition...

John Brown remains one of the most controversial figures of the 19th century. A fanatical abolitionist, he was fixated on using violence to eradicate slavery, killing pro-slavery settlers in Kansas before leading an audacious raid on a federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in 1859. Brown was hanged and his martyrdom helped inflame...

The writer Horatio Alger had a profound effect on the 19th century, as his novels instilled the values of hard work and perseverance in American youth. Yet Alger's own life was troubled and marred by a major scandal.

These vintage images depict highlights from the career of the great showman Phineas T. Barnum, an influential and beloved figure in 19th century America. His museums, shows, and circuses entertained millions of people, and the 1800s would have been a much drearier time without his creative flair and enthusiasm.

When George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Cavalry attacked an enormous Indian camp and were wiped out, the United States was stunned. Custer had been a famous personage since his days as a dashing young cavalry officer in the Civil War, and Americans were shocked and outraged that Custer and his entire command had been killed.

George Armstrong Custer holds a unique place in American history. A hero to some, a villain to others, he was controversial in life and his death shocked the nation. Americans have never tired of reading or talking about Custer.

Presented here are some facts, photos, and illustrations pertaining to Custer's early life and career in the Civil War.

Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois is best remembered for the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, but he was also one of the most influential figures in the US government in the 1850s, and played a crucial role in legislation that propelled the United States toward the Civil War.

Horace Greeley, founded and editor of the New York Tribune, was one of the most influential Americans of the 1800s. He battled against slavery, supported various reform causes, and even ran as a major candidate for president.

One of the most fascinating and controversial Americans of the mid-1800s was Archbishop John Hughes of New York. An Irish immigrant who worked as a gardener while attending the seminary, Hughes attained respect and power that inspired President Abraham Lincoln to dispatch him as a special envoy to Europe during a perilous time for American...

In the earliest years of the United States, the Supreme Court was little more than a vague concept mentioned in the Constitution. But John Marshall, a Chief Justice nominated in the final months of the presidency of John Adams, would make the Supreme Court a powerful and co-equal branch of the federal government.

Johann Sutter came to America in the 1830s, made up some military credentials, and eventually became a major figure in the settlement of California. He is best remembered as the California Gold Rush began when nuggets were discovered on his property, and in keeping with his peculiar life, that stroke of luck essentially ruined him.

Society in the 1800s was fascinated by Charles Sherwood Stratton, who was discovered by the famed showman Phineas Barnum and promoted as General Tom Thumb. In a career spanning 40 years, Tom Thumb performed across the US and Europe, met Queen Victoria and President Lincoln, and sold an estimated 20 million tickets.

William F. Cody, who would forever be known as Buffalo Bill, was a cavalry scout and buffalo hunter who became known as a great American showman. His "Wild West" show brought the thrills of the American west to eastern cities as well as to European capitals. This bio at the PBS site provides highlights of Buffalo Bill's legendary life.

A lively biography of the great showman, hosted, appropriately, at the site of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

John Jacob Astor was the richest man in America in the early 19th century, having dominated the fur trade in the young nation after arriving as an immigrant from Europe in the 1780s.

Clara Barton served as a Civil War nurse and founded the American Red Cross. She lived to overcome obstacles and was revered as a heroic example of a humanitarian.

Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as "The Commdore," amassed a huge fortune in 19th century America after starting out with one boat in New York Harbor and eventually building a railroad empire.