Battle of Lake Erie, U.S. Senate Art Collection, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Biographies

Real Lives, Real Stories, Real History

History is about real people doing or experience real moments. Learning about individual's lives, challenges and triumphs helps to remember and connect with the stories of the past. 

American Battlefield Trust is thrilled to have an ever-growing collection of biographies to encourage learning about famous and lesser-known individuals. Find detailed and inclusive biographies and learn about the people to shaped our nation's history.

Use the website search function and filters to find all the biographies for each era! Here on this page, you'll find some featured biographies from the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the American Civil War and U.S. Presidents. 

This is an image of colonial civilians dumping tea from a ship into Boston Harbor.
Woodcut of Fort McHenry
Capture and burning of Washington by the British, in 1814

War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a pivotal conflict that shaped the young United States' identity and its place on the global stage. Key figures from diverse backgrounds played significant roles in the war, influencing its outcomes and leaving their marks on history. Explore all War of 1812 biographies here.

A detail from Timothy H. O'Sullivan's 'Fugitive Negroes, fording Rappahannock'
Bealeton, Va. Noncommissioned officers' mess of Co. D, 93d New York Infantry
Soldiers at Arlington
Various magazine covers stacked on top of one another, a baseball hat with an American Battlefield Trust logo and a man wearing a hoodie with an American Battlefield Trust logo design on it. Various magazine covers stacked on top of one another, a baseball hat with an American Battlefield Trust logo and a man wearing a hoodie with an American Battlefield Trust logo design on it.

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