Young Readers—Famous Characters

American European Ancient Bible Legends and Literature

The characters listed below are touched upon in one or more of the books in the Young Readers collection. Some students may be interested in "checking off" those characters that they have read about.

Early America

Character	Era	Description
Christopher Columbus	Exploration	Sailed across Atlantic Ocean and discovered the Americas.
Miles Standish	Colonial	Military advisor to Plymouth colony. Arrived on the Mayflower.
William Penn	Colonial	Quaker and founder of the colony of Pennsylvania.
Benjamin Franklin	Revolution	Statesman, publisher, inventor, and non-conformist. Founding father and benefactor of Philadelphia.
George Washington	Revolution	Leader of Continental Army, and first President.
Daniel Boone	Exploration	Explored Kentucky and Tennessee. Opened a road for settlers.
Thomas Jefferson	Revolution	Third President. Author of the Declaration of Independence.
John Paul Jones	Revolution	Revolutionary naval war hero.
Eli Whitney	Republic	Inventor of the Cotton Gin and interchangeable parts for rifles.
Andrew Jackson	Republic	War Hero, President of U.S., and founder of Democratic Party.
Merriwether Lewis	Exploration	With William Clark, explored the Louisiana Purchase from the Missouri to the Pacific.
Abraham Lincoln	Civil War	President of the United States during the American Civil War.
Clara Barton	Civil War	Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross.
Robert E. Lee	Civil War	General of the Confederates during the American Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant	Civil War	Commander of Union forces in the Civil War, and President.
Thomas Edison	Progress	Invented light bulb, movies, phonograph, and many others.
Booker T. Washington	Progress	Former slave who became leader of newly freed negroes.
Theodore Roosevelt	Progress	Progressive Republican Reformer, and 26th President.

Western Europe

Character	Era	Description
Saint Benedict	Middle Ages	Monk whose followers founded monasteries.
Frederick Barbarossa	Middle Ages	Holy Roman Emperor. Died on Third Crusade.
Charlemagne	Middle Ages	First Holy Roman Emperor. Unified Western Europe.
William the Conqueror	Middle Ages	Claimed the crown of England and won it at the Battle of Hastings.
The Black Prince	Middle Ages	English general who ruled alongside his father, Edward III.
Joan of Arc	Middle Ages	Martyr who led French to victory in Hundred Years War.
John Gutenberg	Middle Ages	Invented printing press. Improved types, inks, methods.
Martin Luther	Reformation	Leader of the Protestant Reformation.
John Calvin	Reformation	Protestant Theologian. Influenced French Huguenots, Presbyterian Scots, and English Puritans.
Galileo Galilei	Reformation	Promoted heliocentric theory. Invented the telescope.
Henry VIII	Reformation	King of England famed for marrying six wives.
Elizabeth I	Reformation	Led England during age of reformation and discovery.
Sir Francis Drake	Reformation	Sea adventurer. Sailed around the world. Fought in Armada.
Oliver Cromwell	Reformation	Parliament general during English Civil War. Led government after death of Charles I.
Robert Clive	Early Modern	British soldier, who delivered Bengal to Britain at Plassey.
Captain James Cook	Early Modern	Discovered Australia and New Zealand. Founded colonies.
Marie Antoinette	Early Modern	Queen of France. Beheaded during French Revolution.
Napoleon Bonaparte	Early Modern	Extraordinary general who rose to power after the French Revolution and nearly conquered all of Europe.

Ancient Greece and Rome

Character	Era	Description
Achilles	Epic	Great Greek Warrior in the Trojan War. Invincible except for his heel.
Odysseus	Epic	Greek hero Iliad and Odyssey, famous for his wiles and craft.
Hector	Epic	Hero of Troy. Son of King Priam.
Penelope	Epic	Faithful wife of Odysseus. Kept suitors at bay for twenty years.
Helen	Epic	Wife of Menelaus, who ran off with Paris. Caused the Trojan War.
Hercules	Heroic	Greatest of Greek demigod heroes. Succeeded in twelve labors.
Jason	Heroic	Led a voyage of “Argonauts” on a quest to recover the Golden Fleece.
Perseus	Heroic	Hero who killed Medusa, a monster so ugly it turned people to stone.
Theseus	Heroic	Hero who killed the Minotaur. Ancient King of Athens.
Solon	Greek	Rewrote the laws of Athens to better protect poor citizens from rich.
Xerxes	Persian	Raised huge army for Persian invasion of Greece. Defeated at Salamis.
Leonidas	Greek	Spartan King whose army died defending the pass of Thermopylae.
Demosthenes	Greek	Great Greek orator. Spoke against Philip and the Macedonians.
Alexander	Greek	Greatest general of ancient times. Conquered Persian Empire.
Socrates	Greek	Philosopher who discussed the meaning of life and nature of truth.
Romulus	Roman	Legendary founder of the city of Rome, with brother Remus.
Horatius	Roman	Hero who held the Sublican Bridge against Porsena's entire army.
Cincinnatus	Roman	Soldier summoned while plowing his fields to be dictator of Rome.
Hannibal	Roman	Carthaginian general, invaded and laid waste to Italy for sixteen years.
Cicero	Roman	Orator and Leader of aristocratic party. Put down Catiline conspiracy.
Julius Caesar	Roman	Conquered Gaul, prevailed in civil war. Mastermind of Roman empire.
Augustus	Roman	First emperor. Reigned over fifty years. Established Imperial system.
Constantine	Roman	Emperor who unified the Roman Empire and supported Christianity.

Bible Heroes

Character	Era	Description
Isaac	Pentateuch	Biblical patriarch. Son of Abraham and father of Jacob and Esau.
Jacob	Pentateuch	Patriarch whose sons formed the twelve tribes of Israel.
Joseph	Pentateuch	Favorite son of Jacob, who became the Pharaoh's advisor in Egypt.
Moses	Pentateuch	Prophet who led the Hebrews out of Egypt, authored Pentateuch.
David	Prophets	Second king of Israel. Great warrior, musician, godly monarch.
Esther	Prophets	Persian queen who protected the Jews in her kingdom.
Isaiah	Prophets	Prophet of the 8th century B.C. Author of the book of Isaiah.
Jonah	Prophets	Prophet who was swallowed by a whale on his way to Ninevah.
Ruth	Prophets	Faithful heroine who became the grandmother of David.
Solomon	Prophets	Son of David, known for wealth and wisdom. Built the first temple.
Daniel	Prophets	Jewish hostage at Babylon. Minister of Babylon, interpreter, prophet.
St John	Gospels	Long-lived apostle who preached in Asia Minor. Authored gospel.
St James	Gospels	Apostle who preached in Spain before being beheaded by Herod.
St Peter	Gospels	Leader of the Apostles and first Pope of the Catholic Church.
St Paul	Gospels	Apostle who evangelized throughout the Empire. Wrote Epistles.
St Patrick	Post Biblical	Escaped from slavery in Ireland, returned to spread Christianity.
St Benedict	Post Biblical	Established the Benedictine order. Founded monasteries in Europe.
St Christopher	Post Biblical	Early Christian saint who bore the burdens of the Christ child.
Francis of Assisi	Post Biblical	Founded the Franciscan order of indigent Friars.
St Augustine	Post Biblical	Great theologian of the Middle ages. Wrote Confessions, City of God.

Legendary Heroes

Character	Culture	Description
King Arthur	British	Plotted to kill his brother Artaxerxes and assume the Persian throne.
Robin Hood	British	Father of modern medicine. Set up medical school to train doctors by scientific methods.
Roland	French	Historian who led Greek army out of Persia, in retreat of the Ten Thousand.
Siegfried	German	From humble origins, arose to become tyrant of the city of Syracuse.
Robinson Crusoe	British	Leader of Sparta after the Peloponnesian War. Campaigned in Asia Minor and warred with Thebes.
Gulliver	British	Leading General of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War.
William Tell	Swiss	Story of Damon and Pythias celebrates trusted friendship and willingness to die for one another.
St. George	Christian	Helped to liberate Thebes. Leader of the "Sacred Band" of Theban warriors.
Guy of Warwick	British	Greatest general of his age. Defeated the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra, and made Thebes predominant.
Don Quixote	Spanish	Brother-in-law of the tyrant Dionysius of Syracuse; helped to overthrow him.
Dante	Italian	Writer of moral philosophy. Well known for Dialogues. Student of Socrates.

The above directory of famous men and women is composed mainly of characters who are introduced in short stories from the Young Readers collection. More advanced curriculums in the Heritage series provide more comprehensive lists of important characters.