The second president of the United States, John Adams was instrumental in developing the Declaration of Independence and assuring independence from Britain. He is the only president to have a son (John Quincy) who also became president of the country. Birthplace: Braintree.
Son of John Adams, second president of the United States, John Quincy Adams became the sixth president of the country after a distinguished career as a minister to other countries. He had a bitter political rivalry with Andrew Jackson. Birthplace: Braintree.
Louisa May Alcott wrote one of the most famous works of children's literature, "Little Women." Though born in Pennsylvania, she spent most of her life in Concord and Boston, associating with other great authors such as Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Birthplace: Germantown, Pennsylvania.
A noted conductor with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein is even more famous as a composer. He wrote the music for the classic drama "West Side Story." Birthplace: Lawrence.
Displaying a poet's sensitivity, Emily Dickinson wrote hundreds of poems on nature and the essence of beauty. She was a recluse in old age, living within herself. Few of her poems were published until after her death. Birthplace: Amherst.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a noted lecturer and essayist who traveled the country giving lectures on various topics. He had a deep belief in the harmony of God and nature and was a friend of naturalist Henry David Thoreau. Birthplace: Boston.
The thirty-fifth president of the United States, John F. Kennedy created the Peace Corps, was known for his foreign humanitarian aid programs, and saw the nation through the Cuban Missile Crisis. The nation mourned the loss of a great leader after his assassination in 1963. Birthplace: Brookline.
Horace Mann was a noted educator and politician who served in the state House and Senate, as well as being on important educational commissions. He improved educational conditions statewide. Birthplace: Franklin.
Paul Revere is best known for his supposed midnight ride which warned the colonists that the British were coming. While this may be a partial fiction, Revere was a noted revolutionary and a talented metalworker. Birthplace: Boston.
