People
Historical Figures and Influential People in History
Explore rulers, generals, thinkers, scientists and reformers who shaped world history. Search for a specific person, or browse by era, region, country and A–Z.
Historical Figures from Americas
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3 results
Martin Van Buren
1782–1862Industrial AgeUnited States
He engineered Andrew Jackson's rise to power, became president himself, inherited the financial crash that followed Jackson's policies, and lost his re-election campaign to a man whose main qualification was being a war hero.
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Millard Fillmore
1800–1874Industrial AgeUnited States
He signed the Compromise of 1850 hoping to settle the slavery question for a generation, and instead bought the country a decade to prepare for a war it couldn't avoid.
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Moctezuma II
1466–1520Medieval PeriodMexico
He ruled the most powerful empire in Mesoamerica, received the Spanish as possible gods, and within two years had died and his world had ceased to exist.
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