100 Most Influential Figures in American History

Let’s take a look back, way back, to the Most Influential Figures in American History, as compiled by The Atlantic. The magazine asked 10 historians for their own lists of the 100 most influential Americans. The results were tabulated by average and were weighted to reflect consensus if appearing on multiple ballots.

The magazine contends, “The results are inevitably unscientific, since whittling down all the influential Americans of the last few centuries to just 100 names, let alone ranking them, is a difficult assignment. But the end product is rewarding and intriguing.”

So now, on to the list; all comments are from The Atlantic article. We’ll start with the top 12 –– look at all of those presidents! You can peruse all 100 names at The Atlantic.

1. Abraham Lincoln (left)
2. George Washington
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
5. Alexander Hamilton
6. Benjamin Franklin
7. John Marshall
8. Martin Luther King Jr.
9. Thomas Edison
10. Woodrow Wilson
11. John D. Rockefeller
12. Ulysses S. Grant

The top-ranking woman is Elizabeth Cady Stanton, at No. 30. See The Atlantic’s entire list here.