Who Were The Most Influential Americans In History?

Every country has a rich history of powerful leaders that help shape its destiny, and change the lives of its people. Every country has soldiers, writers, teachers, inventors, and other brilliant minds that dedicate their lives to helping develop the nation.

The U.S. is no stranger to great people. In fact, our country’s history is rich with brilliant mathematicians, poets, authors, inventors, and leaders.

But despite being a country with so many brilliant minds, there are a handful of people that have changed the course of our country’s history. These are people who have stood out among their peers and will always be remembered as the most influential Americans of our time.

Who are these visionaries? Let’s take a look:

1. George Washington

Of course, our country wouldn’t be where it is today without the Father of the Nation! In fact, we wouldn’t exist as a country if it weren’t for him.

Although George Washington wasn’t an inventor and didn’t speak foreign languages (unlike Thomas Jefferson), he’s known for his military achievements. The Battle of Trenton is his most notable battle that gave Americans hope for independence.

He was known for his sensibility and wisdom. He was known as being one of the richest men in the country. But he was also known for being humble. He was imaginative but he understood himself well. He was known for being kind, patient, passionate, and dedicated.

2. Thomas Jefferson

As one of the most famous founding fathers of the nation, Thomas Jefferson is considered a genius in his own right. He was accomplished and successful in many things. He was a lawyer, a philosopher, musician, architect, naturalist, inventor, scientist, geographer, and plenty of other things.

He’s known as the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Virginia. He’s a puzzle and mystery to most historians but one thing is certain: he was known for his passion for mathematical precision and science.

3. Abraham Lincoln  

This list would be incomplete without Abraham Lincoln! He served as the 16^th president of the nation and was known for his strong opinions, most notably against slavery. He’s known for guiding soldiers and Americans through the Civil War and ending slavery once and for all.

He was known for vision and for his great military strategies, and for restoring the original American vision—a country where people are free.

4. Henry Ford

Now here’s the irony: Henry Ford’s family came from England and Ireland. He came from an upper-middle class family but was known for being incredibly hardworking.

In 1891, he met Thomas Edison shared his idea regarding automobiles. Edison was so impressed and inspired by Ford’s ideas, he immediately began working on creating two different prototypes.

Henry Ford used these prototypes to launch the Detroit Automobile Company. Unfortunately, the company didn’t last long because Ford wasn’t satisfied with the way the prototypes worked. But he didn’t give up working on automobiles.

He founded the Cadillac Automobile Company but it wasn’t successful. However, a few years late, he launched the Ford Motor Company, which found significant success. It’s the same company that we know today and its annual sales are worth $160 billion!

5. Oprah Winfrey

Who doesn’t know of Oprah Winfrey? You can’t make a list of the most influential Americans and not include Oprah!

But it wasn’t until the late 80s that Oprah opened up about herself to the public. She openly spoke about the tough life she had lived and the struggles she had faced. The public was deeply touched by the story and was inspired by a strong, independent woman who took on the world.

The hardships she experienced so early on in her life earned her a TV show, which went on to become one of America’s longest-running programs.

After the success she found, Winfrey launched Harpo Studios, a company that now has more than 12,500 employees!

She later founded Oxygen Media and continues to attract millions of viewers annually.

Her net worth is $2.5 billion!

In Conclusion

These are some of the most influential Americans of all time. Of course, there are other notable personalities as well. If you have a suggestion and would like us to add a name to the list, feel free to drop a comment below!

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