Sojourner Truth was born to slaves. She had no choice. But when she grew to be a young mother herself, she ran away with her child looking for freedom. She used her voice to speak for all slaves wanting to be free.
Ruby Bridges just wanted to go to a good school. She did not ask to be a hero, but she knew how to be strong. Her bravery made it possible for classrooms today to be safe places for children of all races.
Wilma Rudolph wanted to run and jump like other children. But she had a serious disease that kept her leg from growing well. She did not give up and one day she became a big star winning Olympic gold medals.
When Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a young girl she knew she could do anything her brothers could do. But the laws in the country said women were not equal to men. Elizabeth knew she had to make a difference for all women.
Daniel Inouye had a happy life until 1941 when the Japanese military bombed Pearl Harbor, which changed his life forever. Daniel fought in the U.S. Army and went on to serve his country in the U.S. Senate.
Maria Tallchief was inspired to dance while watching Osage dancers as a child in Oklahoma. For tribal ceremonies only men were allowed to dance. But, Maria went on to become America's first prima ballerina.
Sequoyah created a way of writing the Cherokee language 200 years ago. Thanks to Sequoyah, the Cherokee today know more about their history and native language than almost any other tribe in North America.
As a child, Cesar Chavez worked on farms. He felt the workers were not treated well. Cesar used his voice to become a leader in making sure farm workers were paid better and treated fairly.
The story of Harriet Tubman and her role in leading slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad is well-known. But did you know that during the Civil War Harriet would often dress in disguise to gain important information to share with the Union Army?
The American colonies had just declared independence from the British.But General George Washington knew things were not going the American’s way. When Gen. Washington needed someone to spy on the British, only one young man volunteered. That man was Nathan Hale, an early American hero.
No one expected Rose Greenhow to be a war hero. But when the American Civil War split the nation apart, this beautiful and popular hostess played an important role in the Confederate South’s most important battle victory.
Some people call him the smartest baseball player of all time. Moe Berg could speak twelve languages —and make up signs on the baseball diamond. How did this major league catcher go on to become an American spy in World War II?
He was popular with his troops. And he was such a good soldier that Benedict Arnold became a major general in the Colonial Army. So how did a Revolutionary hero become known as one of the earliest spies in U.S. history?
The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln was killed by an assassins bullet on April 15, 1865. Lincoln preserved the union of the nation, but after the Civil War he struggled with Congress and the people over Reconstruction. Despite the war and political strife, Lincolns life and legacy touched the hearts and souls of millions then as it does today. This play draws from the writings of many of those people and from Lincoln himself.
In 1845, Frederick Douglass's first autobiography became a bestseller. Many readers could not believe that such a brilliant writer was ever a slave. When Douglass wrote the book, slavery had not yet ended so he kept secret how he escaped from Maryland. By 1881, the Civil War had ended slavery and Douglass felt the time was right to reveal how he escaped. This play is adapted from Douglass's own words from The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.
