Many figures have left their imprint on US history, yet only a handful make it into the schoolbooks. What about the people who slipped through the cracks? Some were daring spies, some were enslaved laborers, and all of them helped forge the country we know today. In this roundup we spotlight the ten forgotten americans whose deeds deserve a standing ovation.
Why These 10 Forgotten Americans Matter
10. Elizabeth Jennings Graham
Back in 1854, a full century before Rosa Parks made her famous stand, Elizabeth Jennings Graham staged a bold protest on the streets of New York City. Running late for church, she refused to wait for a horse‑drawn carriage earmarked for people of colour and instead hopped onto the first omnibus she could find. The white driver balked, refusing to move, but Graham held her ground until the driver finally obliged.
When the driver later stopped to pick up white passengers, Graham stayed put, refusing to give up her seat. The driver, irritated, yanked her from the vehicle and tossed her onto the sidewalk. Infuriated, Graham penned a letter recounting the humiliating episode, which was read aloud to her church congregation and sent to Frederick Douglass’ Paper and the editor of The New York Daily Tribune.
Her father hired future president‑to‑be Chester Arthur to bring the case to court. Arthur won, and within a year New York City’s public transit system was fully integrated. Without Graham’s steadfast refusal to surrender her seat, this milestone might never have arrived.
9. James Armistead Lafayette
Sometimes, the tide of war turns on the whisper of a single spy. James Armisteed Lafayette, a Virginian enslaved man, found the perfect cover by serving under the Marquis de Lafayette, commander of the French forces allied with the Continental Army. He convinced British General Charles Cornwallis that he was a runaway slave hired to spy on the American side.
Through clever deceit, Armisteed earned the confidence of both Benedict Arnold and Cornwallis, feeding vital intelligence back to Lafayette and General Washington about British troop movements and supply lines. His reports proved instrumental in the summer of 1781, helping Washington secure victory at Yorktown and forcing the British surrender.
After the war, Armisteed returned to his master and remained enslaved. When the Marquis de Lafayette learned of this injustice, he testified on the man’s behalf. Two years later the Virginia General Assembly granted him freedom, and he adopted the Lafayette surname in gratitude for the French hero.
8. Elizabeth Freeman
Elizabeth Freeman’s courage sparked a landmark legal battle that reshaped Massachusetts law. Born into slavery in 1742, she was sold in the 1770s to Colonel John Ashley. While living in Ashley’s household, Freeman endured abuse from his wife and eventually fled, refusing to return.
Freeman, having heard the colonists discuss the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, began to wonder why those lofty ideals didn’t apply to her. She enlisted the help of Ashley’s friend, attorney Theodore Sedgwick, who took up her cause. In 1781 Sedgwick filed the case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, arguing that the Massachusetts Constitution, which declared all individuals “born free and equal,” should protect Freeman.
The jury agreed, granting her freedom and setting a precedent that would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery throughout Massachusetts. Freeman’s case demonstrated the power of constitutional language when applied to real lives.
7. Roger Sherman
The Constitutional Convention of July 16, 1787 was a pressure cooker of ideas, and one of the most contentious debates centered on Senate representation. Larger Southern states wanted representation based on population and fiscal contribution, while smaller states demanded equal footing for each state.
Enter Roger Sherman of Connecticut, the chief architect of the Connecticut Compromise. Together with fellow delegate Oliver Ellsworth, Sherman proposed a bicameral legislature: one house (the House of Representatives) would allocate seats proportionally by population, and the other (the Senate) would grant each state an equal vote. The Convention voted five to four in favor of Sherman’s plan, forging the structure that still underpins Congress today.
Despite his pivotal role in shaping the nation’s government—and being the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and the 1774 Continental Association—Sherman’s name has faded from popular memory.
6. Mary Bowser
Although she never fired a single shot, Mary Bowser’s espionage work proved vital for the Union cause. Born into slavery in Virginia in 1840, she was taken into the household of Elizabeth Van Lew, a staunch Union supporter. After receiving a Northern education as a child, Bowser returned to the Van Lews and became an integral part of their intelligence network.
Bowser relayed critical information to Union generals Benjamin Butler, Ulysses Grant, and George Sharpe. She operated within the Confederate White House, secretly observing and copying documents, letters, and conversations. Her ability to read and write—rare among enslaved women—made her an especially valuable asset for the Richmond underground spy ring.
In recognition of her contributions, Mary Bowser was inducted into the U.S. Army Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1995, cementing her legacy as one of America’s most effective, yet overlooked, wartime spies.
5. Annie Turner Wittenmyer
Annie Turner Wittenmyer was a tireless social and political activist whose work left an indelible mark on American history. During the Civil War, she served as a social worker in army camps across Iowa, but in 1864 she stepped away to focus on improving soldiers’ medical care.
Wittenmyer pioneered “special kitchens” in army hospitals, where two women prepared meals precisely according to doctors’ prescriptions for each patient. This innovation ensured that soldiers received nutritionally balanced food tailored to aid recovery. With support from the United States Christian Commission, she opened her first kitchen in Nashville, Tennessee, and by war’s end the model had been adopted by most army medical facilities.
Beyond wartime service, Wittenmyer became a leading figure in the Women’s Crusade, an early temperance movement. In 1874 she attended the convention that founded the national Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and was elected its first president, a post she held until 1879. She traveled extensively, promoting temperance and women’s rights across the country.
4. Edmund G. Ross
In the turbulent years following the Civil War, the nation grappled with how to reintegrate the defeated South. President Andrew Johnson clashed with Congress over Reconstruction policies, leading to his impeachment in February 1868. Enter Edmund G. Ross, a fresh‑faced senator from Kansas with a reputation for opposing Southern interests.
The House had impeached Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act, and the Senate needed a two‑thirds majority—36 guilty votes—to remove him. As the trial progressed, 24 senators had already voted “guilty,” and another 11 were virtually certain to follow. When Ross’s turn arrived, the Senate stood on the brink of a historic removal.
Defying party pressure, Ross cast a “not guilty” vote, providing the exact number of votes needed to acquit Johnson. His courageous decision allowed the president to finish his term, but it also cost Ross his political standing for years to come.
3. Myra Colby Bradwell
Myra Colby Bradwell devoted her life to advancing women’s legal rights in the post‑Civil‑War era. In 1868 she launched the Chicago Legal News, the first weekly law journal in the Midwest, serving as both business manager and editor. The publication frequently criticized lawyers and judges for ethical lapses, pushing for higher standards in the profession.
Bradwell leveraged her legal expertise to draft two groundbreaking pieces of legislation: the Married Woman’s Property Act of 1861 and the Earnings Act of 1869. These bills granted married women greater control over their own property and earnings, challenging the prevailing notion that a husband owned all assets.
Despite her achievements, Illinois denied Bradwell a license to practice law because she was a woman. She appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the state’s decision. Nevertheless, the Court reversed its stance in 1890, finally granting her admission to the bar and allowing her to fulfill her professional ambitions.
2. Percy Julian
Although limited to an eighth‑grade education due to the racial climate of early‑20th‑century Alabama, Percy Julian rose to become a towering figure in chemistry. Between 1932 and 1935, he partnered with fellow student Josef Pikl to synthesize physostigmine, a naturally occurring compound essential for treating glaucoma. Their successful laboratory synthesis in 1935 opened the door to mass‑production of this life‑saving medication.
Julian’s most celebrated breakthrough came later, when he devised a cost‑effective method for producing cortisone, a steroid vital for treating arthritis and a host of inflammatory conditions. By dramatically lowering the price of cortisone, Julian made the drug accessible to millions who previously could not afford it.
Despite the profound impact of his scientific contributions, Julian’s name remains relatively obscure—a likely byproduct of the racial prejudice that colored his era. Nevertheless, his work continues to benefit countless patients worldwide.
1. Frank Wills
Frank Wills’ keen eyes as a night watchman ignited one of America’s most notorious political scandals. On the night of June 17, 1972, the 24‑year‑old guard was making his routine rounds at the Watergate complex when he noticed a piece of tape covering the lock of a basement door. Assuming an employee had left it to simplify his own entry, Wills removed the tape.
During a later patrol, he discovered the same tape had been reapplied. Recognizing something amiss, he immediately called the police. Officers responded swiftly, securing the building, shutting down the elevators, and conducting a thorough sweep. Their search uncovered five burglars on the sixth floor of the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
Further investigation revealed the intruders were acting on orders from President Richard Nixon’s re‑election campaign, igniting the Watergate scandal that eventually forced Nixon to resign. Sadly, Wills left his Watergate job soon after the break‑in and struggled to find steady employment until his death in 2000.