1. john adams

american revolutionary, statesman and 2nd president of the US. one of the more radical patriots

2. edmond genet

representative of the french republic who in 1793 tried to recruit americans to invade spanish and british territories in blatant disregard of washington's neutrality proclamation

3. alexander hamilton

revolutionary war soldier and first treasury secretary of the US. a fierce proponent of a strong national government, he attended the Philadelphia convention and convincingly argued for the Constitution's ratification of The Federalist.

4. john jay

leading american revolutionary and diplomat, who negotiated the Treaty of Paris and later, the much-criticized Jay Treaty of 1794, which averted war with Britain but failed to address key American grievances

5. little turtle

miami indian chief whose warriors routed american forces in 1790 and 1791 along the Ohio frontier.

6. charles maurice de talleyrand

french foreign minister whose attempts to solicit bribes from american envoys in the infamous XYZ affair prompted widespread calls for war with france

7. armed neutrality

loose alliance of nonbelligerent naval powers, organized by Russia's Catherine the Great, to protect neutral trading rights during the war for American independence

8. battle of bunker hill

fought on the outskirts of boston, on Breed's hill, the battle ended in the colonial militia's retreat, though at a heavy cost to the British

9. common sense

thomas paine's pamphlet urging the colonies to declare independence and establish a republican government. the widely-read pamphlet helped convince colonists to support the revolution

10. declaration of independence

formal pronouncement of independence drafted by thomas jefferson and approved by congress. the declaration allowed americans to appeal for foreign aid and served as an inspiration for alter revolutionary movements worldwide