10 great Americans

As many children and adults gather together today to light fireworks and celebrate the freedom we enjoy as Americans, it’s important not to forgot the people who allowed us to become a free nation.
With that in mind, The Examiner strived to make this week’s Top 10 the 10 most patriotic Americans of all time. Of course, any list like this is subjective, so we sought the advice of Dirk Stapleton, a member of the Harry S. Truman Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and Examiner columnist Jerry Plantz.
With their help, here is our Top 10, with Americans ranging from the birth of the nation to modern times.

10 GI Joe and Jane
Here’s to all the brave men and women who have served for our country, or are currently in uniform today to perserve and defend our freedom, and freedom around the world. Many have sacrificed their life for this cause. What greater act of patriotism could one show?

9 Harry S. Truman
What would our list be without our very own American hero, Harry Truman, the 33rd president? Truman’s values and character exemplified patriotism and the American dream, a farmer who rose through the ranks of democracy to the world’s most powerful position.

8 John Adams
Our second president and key figure in gaining our Independence from England, Adams’ contributions can not be ignored. Plantz makes a great case for Adams. See Page A5 for more on him and Thomas Jefferson.

7 The passengers of United flight 93
When the passengers on United flight 93 learned their plane was hijacked and headed for the nation’s capital, they formulated a plan to stop the terrorists from successfully carrying out their attack. Though the passengers were unable to save their own lives, they saved others by forcing the plane to crash-land in a Pennsylvania field. After that day, many memorial services were held in honor of those passengers. “Those people on that flight gave America inspiration,” Stapleton said. “They actually protected DC with their self-sacrifice. They are definitely true Americans and patriots.”

6 Benjamin Franklin
Franklin was an avid supporter of independence from England. He worked on a committee to draft the Declaration and signed it in 1776. Among many of his accomplishments, Franklin created the “Poor Richard’s Almanac” and bought, wrote for and published the “Pennsylvania Gazette.” He served as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention and later signed the document.  “Not only did he help write and sign the Declaration but he also took the fortitude of going to Paris and being a part of signing the Treaty of Paris. That lead to our independence,” Stapleton said.

5 Susan B. Anthony
Anthony was as a prominent American civil rights leader who played a pivotal role in the 19th century women’s rights movement to introduce women’s suffrage into the United States. She died a few years before the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was passed, but her tireless efforts helped paved the way for equal rights for women.

4 Martin Luther King Jr.
King was a civil rights advocate and a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1955, King, with others, was involved in the first non-violent demonstration during a bus boycott that lasted 382 days. Before his assassination in 1968, King participated in many other demonstrations including a march in D.C. where he delivered his “I have a dream” speech.
 
3 Thomas Jefferson
At 33 years old, Jefferson penned the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. He served as the country’s first Secretary of State under George Washington and later served as the nation’s third president.

2 Abraham Lincoln 
Lincoln served as the 16th president of the United States and held the Union together through his leadership in the Civil War. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 ending slavery in the United States forever. “This year is the 200-year celebration of his birth,” Stapleton said. “It’s important to recognize him and others for their past contributions that lead to future generations of Americans.”

1 George Washington
Washington was appointed by Congress as commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775. Through the Revolution, Washington’s army overcame severe struggles and won many battles. Washington, however, resigned from his position after the Treaty of Paris was signed. He later presided over the Constitutional Convention and was unanimously chosen by the electoral college to serve as the nation’s first president.