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P.S.
279
NOAH WEBSTER
by Brian Hamilton
Why
was Noah Webster a hero? Firstly, he turned Old
England's words into new day American words. For
example, the word "waggon" was changed to the word
"wagon". In addition, he helped children and
parents learn to spell better with his first
dictionary "The spelling book". Lastly, he was one
of the founding fathers of "The Amherst collage" in
Amherst, Massachusetts. These are some reasons why
I think Noah Webster was a hero.
He
was born in 1758 and died in 1843. He was in West
Hartford, Connecticut. He went to Yale College. In
addition, he practiced law in New York State. He
also went to Europe in preparation for his
dictionary. After that, he lived in Amherst,
Massachusetts for a period of time. He moved to New
Haven in 1822.
Noah Webster's contribution to history was changing
history because years and years ago, people spelled
words differently.
The word "Musick" was changed to the word "music".
Mr. Webster helped future generations to spell and
define words by creating the dictionary. I believe
Noah Webster was a hero because of
this.
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Sojourner Truth, A True Hero
by Danielle Pearson
Isabelle
was born into slavery as a young child. She changed
her name to Sojourner when she was forty-six years
old. When she was small she was sold to a man named
John Neely. She ran away from him behind a herd of
sheep. She had a long struggle trying to bring her
family back together. That's when it all started.
Sojourner became involved in a meeting so that
people could discuss whether women deserved to have
the same political and social rights as men.
At
the meeting Sojourner Truth made a speech "Aren't I
A Woman?" This is when I realized Sojourner Truth
is a hero and a role model for every woman and
girl. She worked to give us the rights that women
have now. I think everyone should appreciate it
because if Sojourner Truth and other people in
history did not stand up for what they believed, we
wouldn't have the rights we have
today.
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RUBY BRIDGES
by Tershone Phillips
Ruby
Bridges is a legend. She is brave and courageous
person. If you want to understand what I'm talking
about we need to go back to when Ruby was a little
girl. Ruby was only a child when she got accepted
into a white elementary school. Now this may seem
like it's not a big deal, but back in the 1960's it
was. It was called segregation. Blacks and whites
couldn't eat, sleep, or do anything else together.
So when the whites heard that Ruby was going to
their school, it meant disaster for the
community.
On
the first day of school there was a big
mob-surrounding Ruby. They were trying to hurt her.
Ruby's mother and five federal marshals walked her
up to the school so she would be protected. Ruby
liked her teacher. She seemed very nice. Her name
was Ms. Barbara Henry. Ms. Henry didn't judge Ruby
on the color of her skin. She treated her like a
human being, not like a little animal. After a few
days, children started to disobey their parents and
came to school. When their parents found out, they
got mad, but the children didn't care. They just
stayed in school. So after a while the parents
figure out that the children weren't going to
listen so they just gave in. That is the story of
how Ruby Bridges is a true heroine.
Ruby Bridges is now forty-four years old. She is
still alive. She is a hero because she changed the
United States school system forever. Ruby made
people realize that segregated schools were wrong.
Ruby Bridges is a great person.
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Thurgood Marshall
by Kaylah Carroll
Thurgood
Marshall was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1908.
When Thurgood Marshall was growing up there where
segregation laws {separate schools for whites and
blacks.} He had to go to an all black school.
Thurgood Marshall was very smart. He was so smart
he graduated from high school when he was only 16
years old.
Thurgood Marshall is a hero because when he was a
lawyer for the NAACP {National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People} he fought for the
rights of minorities. He won many important cases.
For example, he won Smith v Allwright case that
excluded blacks from primary elections. He also won
the case Sipuel v University of Oklahoma and Sweatt
v Painter in both cases the Universities of
Oklahoma and Texas had to integrate their law
schools. Marshall's most important victory case was
the case of Brown v Board of Education of Topeka.
He argued that the "equal protection clause" of the
Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the
United States that all States treat all citizens
equal regardless of their race. Marshall persuaded
the court to declare segregation in public schools
unconstitutional.
In
1961 President John F. Kennedy appointed Marshall
to the United States Second Court of Appeals. In
1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Marshall
solicitor general of the United States. He argued
cases before the Supreme Court. Two months later he
was confirmed as associate justice of the Supreme
Court. Justice Marshall had very strong beliefs. He
was not afraid to disagree with the other justices.
For example, he disagreed with the death penalty
because more minorities got the death penalty than
whites.
Thurgood Marshall retired from the Supreme Court in
1991. He died of heart failure in Washington, D.C.
in January 1993. Thurgood Marshall contributed his
life to making positive changes for minorities in
the United States.
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Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
by Chioke Chung Tiamfook
I
think Nelson Rolihlahla is a hero. He was born in
the village Qunu near Omtata Treskei on July
18,1918. His father, Henry Mgadla Mandela was the
principal councilor to the Acting Paramount Chief.
Mandela was determined to become a lawyer, but he
also wanted to make a difference in the freedom
struggle. After receiving an education at local
school, he went to secondary school at Headtown
Methodist Boarding School. He went to the College
of Fort Hare. By 1958, Mandela and his life long
friend Oliver Tambo opened the first black legal
firm in the country. A petition by the Transvaal
Law Society to strike Mandela off the roll of
attorneys was refused by the Supreme Court. Mandela
joined the African National Congress in September
1942.
In
1944 Mandela banded together with other young
Africans and formed the youth branch of the ANC
called the African National Council Youth League
(ANCYL). Together they transformed the ANC into a
mass movement dedicated to the principle of self-
determination. Mandela helped draft the Program of
Action for the youth movement, which called for
full citizenship; direct government representation
for all people, redistribution of land, union
rights, education and culture, free education for
all children and for mass education for adults.
Mandela used the weapon of boycott, strike, civil
disobedience and non-cooperation which was adopted
as the official policy of the ANC. Nelson Mandela
was jailed, detained and banned many times because
of his struggle for justice. When his political,
party the ANC was outlawed, he was forced
underground to continue his work against racism. He
had to wear disguises to evade capture by the
police.
He
was called the black pimpernel because he was so
good at evading the police. He was arrested and
while in prison he was charged with sabotage at the
famous Rivonia Trials. He remained in prison for
over 25 years. Mandela statements during the trial
were a source of inspiration for all that fought
apartheid, His final words before he went to prison
were:
"I
have fought against white domination and I have
fought against black domination. I have cherished
the ideal of a democratic and free society in which
all persons live together in harmony and with equal
opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live
for and achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal,
which I am prepared to die. "
Mandela remained a source of inspiration for his
people and the other prisoners in jail with him.
Mandela rejected many offers for release in the
1970's and 1980's because he would have to sign
documents excepting the racial policies of South
Africa government. Nelson Mandela received a Noble
Peace Prize for standing against racism. He
sacrificed his life and youth for his people and he
is still their best-loved hero. He is also my
hero.
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My Hero
by Shaneequa O'Connor
Mahatma
Gandhi is a hero to us all. After Mahatma Gandhi's
father's death his family decided that he should go
to England and become a barrister like his father.
After he passed the examination, he was eager to
see his mother, until he found out she was dead. So
Mahatma Gandhi decided to travel. He purchased a
first class ticket and got on the train. When a
British man saw Gandhi, he got mad and called the
railway officer to kick him off the train. Gandhi
said "No"; the officer pushed him out and threw his
luggage out the window. Gandhi decided to go back
to Africa. He stayed in Africa for about twenty
years. He decided to go to India to fight for
injustice. In India he became the leader of Freedom
Movement because Lokmanya Tilak died. While Gandhi
was the leader, he fought for injustice, and was
sent to prison many times. He also believed in
equal rights. Also Mahatma Gandhi encouraged Martin
Luther King Jr. to give his famous speech. This is
why I think Mahatma Gandhi is a hero to us
all.
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My Hero, Patrick Henry
by Joanne Deng
Patrick
Henry was born on May 29, 1736. I believe he was a
hero because he made Britain stop putting taxes on
everything. Even a deck of cards was taxed! After
that, everybody wanted Patrick Henry to be his or
her lawyer. He said, "Give me liberty or give me
death!" He talked a lot of people into fighting for
what's right. He went from tent to tent telling
soldiers to fight for what's right. They did. A war
began and Britain surrendered. After the war, there
were fewer taxes on tea. Now, they don't have to
pay taxes on tea. Patrick Henry went back home. He
had eleven children. One of his children was three
when he died on June 6, 1799.
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My Hero, Nelson Mandela
by Jeffrey Wu
Do
you know anyone who did a very important thing and
became a hero? Nelson Mandela is a freedom fighter
and peacemaker. He is a hero. He grew up in South
Africa. In those times, people of different colors
wouldn't do things together. If you drank from the
wrong water fountain, you would be put in jail.
Lots of people listened, but not Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela was a fighter. He didn't want to
live where people couldn't do things together. He
became a lifelong warrior to help free South
Africa. His career was cut short when he was
sentenced to life imprisonment. Even when he was in
prison, he still struggled to help free South
Africa. After 27 years in prison, he was freed.
Five years later, he won the Noble Peace Prize and
was elected to become President of South Africa.
After a long time, everyone in South Africa gained
equal opportunity to be and live comfortably.
Nelson Mandela is one of the freedom heroes who had
success. He is a true hero.
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My Hero, Harriet Tubman
by Rachel Leeke
Do
you know what a hero is? Well, Harriet Tubman is
one of them. Harriet lived during slavery. Harriet
was born a slave so by the age of ten she was
working out in the fields with other slaves. The
reason why she is a heroine is because she freed
over five hundred slaves from slavery. Another
reason why she is a heroine is because she risked
her life for other people. Because of her
selflessness, she saved so many lives from slavery.
The way Harriet contributed to history was by
giving slaves a start to a new life by not being
slaves. This is why Harriet Tubman is a
heroine.
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My Hero, Harriet Tubman
by Kiara Riles
Who
is Harriet Tubman? She is a heroine to many others
and me. Harriet was born a slave in the 1820's in
Maryland, near the eastern shore. She left her
family in 1849 to free slaves. She was an
abolitionist and a nurse, a cook, and a scout for
the union army. During the past 12 years, she
returned back to Maryland 19 times to free other
slaves. She was very brave. Her trips were
successful. She was a master in planning the
strategy for her escapes. Everyone throughout the
slave community knew about her plans. She is
similar to Moses because he led the Israelites in
the Bible to freedom. I would like to help others
and be remembered as a heroine also. She freed over
300 people. When the Civil War was over, she took
care of young and old black folks. She died in 1913
from pneumonia. She will always be remembered as a
brave lady, a heroine, and a role
model.
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Hero Lewis Latimer
by Myles Thomas
Lewis
Howard Latimer was one of the hero's of history in
the 19th century. He was born on September 4, 1848
in Chelsea Massachusetts. His father George
Latimer, a former slave had fled to Boston from
Virginia during the 1830 's. Lewis Latimer rose
from being a cabin boy on the USS Massasoit to
being the head of the United States Electrical
Lightning Company. He was always fond of inventions
and worked hard on getting his inventions
patented.
Latimer was fortunate to work on Alexander Graham
Bell's application for his telephone design. He
supervised the installation of the carbon filament.
In his mind, Lewis thought about having a new
invention and soon he came up with the incandescent
bulb. Lewis and Joseph V. Nicholas received a
patented for that particular invention.
Latimer later became a chief draftsman and expert
witness on the board of Patent control of the
company that eventually became known as General
Electric. In my opinion, I believe that he was a
very intelligent man because he used his brain to
make something easier for people to use. People
don't use those inventions anymore because other
inventions made something much better for us to
use. However, people were able to learn from his
inventions and improve on them today. Lewis Latimer
is one of my favorite heroes because he used his
brain to make something easier for people to use. I
believe that his dedication to inventions helped
pave the way for others to follow, even
today.
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My Hero, Frederick Douglass
by Sammy Yeung
Frederick
Baily (Douglass) was a hero. He was born near
Easton, Maryland. He was a slave when he was eight.
He worked for Aaron Anthony. Federick traveled to
Baltimore to work for Hugh Auld in 1826. Soon,
Aaron sent him to work for Edward Covey then,
William Freeland. In January 1836, he tried to
escape but he failed. He was imprisoned and was
sent back to Hugh Auld. In 1837, he met Anna
Murray. He and Anna escaped to New York, got
married, and changed his name so his master
couldn't find him. In 1841, he was asked to speak
at the American Anti-slavery society meeting. He
was also invited to go on a lecture tour. In 1845,
he published "The Narrative Life of Federick
Douglass." He also began a tour of England and
returned in 1847. In 1848-1850, he attended the
first women's' right convention and became involved
with the Underground Railroad. In 1859, he sailed
to England to begin his lecture tour and returned
in 1860.
In
1863, he met Abraham Lincoln and discussed the
treatment of black soldiers during the Civil War.
In 1864, he met with Lincoln again to formulate
plans to lead blacks out of the South in case of a
Union defeat. In 1866, he met Andrew Johnson and
told him about the black suffrage movement. In
1867, he declined Johnson's offer to Freedman's
Bureau, in Maryland. In 1870, the fifteen
amendments were adopted and blacks had the right to
vote. In 1874, he became the Freedman's Saving and
Trust Company's president. In 1877, he became a
marshal and in 1880, he was appointed Recorder of
Deeds for Washington D.C. In the August of 1882,
his wife died. In 1889, he accepted the post of
American Consul-General to Haiti. In 1891, he
resigned from his post and returned home. He died
on February 20, 1895, in Washington D.C.
Frederick Douglass saved slaves, helped the
president, helped women get equal rights, and
helped fight against the Confederacy. This was why
I think he was a hero.
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Luis Munoz Rivera
by Joseph DeJesus
What
do think a hero is? A hero doesn't have to be a
sandwich or a person with super powers. Somebody
that I think is a hero is Luis Munoz Rivera. He was
born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico on July 17, 1859.
Luis Munoz Rivera devoted his life to the struggle
for the political autonomy of Puerto Rico. He is a
hero since he did so many things for Puerto
Rico.
Luis Munoz Rivera fought for Puerto Rico to be an
independent government under the Spanish colonial
system. In November 1897, Puerto Rico was granted
autonomist charter. In July 1898, the U.S. invasion
of Puerto Rico a whole new fight Mr. Rivera. Now
under U.S. control Mr.. Rivera became one of the
founders of the Unionist party and was later
elected Resident Commissioner to the U. S. House of
Representatives. In Congress he was able to crusade
against the Foraker Act.
The work of Mr. Rivera led to the enactment of the
Jones Act. It was signed in to law by President
Wilson on March 2, 1917. The Jones Act granted U.
S. Citizenship to Puerto Ricans. Mr. Rivera
returned to Puerto Rico in September 1916. He was
ill with cancer and died November 15, 1916. I
consider him a true hero.
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Fredrick Douglass
by Sharice Brown
Do
you have a hero is history? Well I do and his name
is Fredric Douglass. I chose him because he was an
abolitionist; an abolitionist is a freedom fighter.
He also fought for the freedom we have today.
Fredrick Augustis Washington Baily was born in
Tuckahoe, Maryland, in 1817, he was born a slave.
Sadly, he died in 1895.
When Fredrick turned eight years of age, he was
sent to Baltimore to work for his master's
relative. In 1858, he fled from his master, and to
avoid capture he dropped his two middle names and
changed his last name Douglass.
When Fredrick was an adult, he got a job as a
caulker. Since he was black, none of the other
workers wanted to work with him. Eventually, he
devoted his life to abolishing slavery. He also
protested against religious discrimination.
In
1845, Douglass published his autobiography
Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. He
feared that his identity as a runaway slave would
be revealed so he went to England. There he
continued to speak against slavery. Douglass
returned to the United States in 1847.
During the Civil War, [1861- 1865] his home
was a station on the Underground Railroad. He also
helped get Afro-Americans for the Union Army.
What I think Douglass contributed to history was
the attitude of fighting for what is right. I
believe this made him a hero.
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MY HERO, THURGOOD MARSHALL
by Shannon Cohall
Have
you ever wondered who is your hero? Well my hero is
Thurgood Marshall. He is my hero because he was for
freedom of speech. He was loyal and honest. He is
my role model. In 1930, Thurgood graduated from
Lincoln University with cum laude. When he went to
court with his father to plead a case, he found
that the judge was unfair to the black man. The man
was right and told the truth. Thurgood thought that
was illegal. I agree!
Thurgood Marshall had a good heart. When Thurgood
was asked for a meaning of the word "equal" by
Justice Frankfurter, he answered, "equal means
getting the same thing, at the same time and in the
same place." He was a good leader. I too want be a
good leader. He was tenacious. He was very wise. In
1933 he receives a law degree from Howard
University. He treated everyone fairly. Unlike most
judges, he had an opinion on almost everything. He
was faithful. He was determined to have justice for
all people. In fact, Marshall is often remembered
for his dissents.
I
admire him very much. I want to be a lawyer, then a
judge, just like him. He was a good person. I am
also a good person. Thurgood along with his mentor
Charles Hamilton (who was the first black lawyer to
win a case before the Supreme Court), developed a
long-term strategy for eradicating segregation in
schools. He was caring. I am caring too. In 1961
president John F. Kennedy appointed Thurgood to the
United States court of appeals for the second
circuit. I want to be just like him. This is why
Thurgood Marshall is my hero!
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