Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman from Massachusetts, became a celebrated poet, publishing a book in 1773, corresponding with prominent figures like George Washington, and demonstrating the literary talent of African Americans before dying in poverty at 31.

Hezekiah Maham, a South Carolina planter and military officer, gained fame during the American Revolution for his innovative siege tactics and leadership of "Maham's Legion." Post-war, he served in politics but became controversial for refusing to pay debts and aggressively confronting a deputy.

Jim Capers, a free African American who courageously served as a Drum Major during the American Revolution, survived brutal battles and close-quarters combat, including being severely wounded at Eutaw Springs. Capers spent his final years in Alabama, where his extraordinary contributions to the fight for independence went largely uncelebrated before his death at the age of 111 in 1853.

Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father and the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, rose to prominence during the American Revolution as an artillery captain and later as a trusted aide-de-camp to General George Washington.