One of my historian friends has posted a contest to see how your pick of influential Americans lines up with those of The Atlantic Monthly‘s panel of historians. I have some issues with the Atlantic‘s methodology (I think the weighting to consensus systematically biases the results in a rather easily predictable and, to my mind, pernicious way), but, still, it’s fun to see who one can come up with and to compare one’s list with the panel’s list.
– Sydney
Alan Schmierer
I feel a little strange posting on your friend’s Xanga… but here were mine:
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Edison
Eli Whitney
Frederick Douglass
Erin, I posted this on my LiveJournal for my friends, just because I think it will be interesting to see what people come up with. Notably lacking on my list is the inclusion of any women… I couldn’t decide whether a woman would be in the Top Ten or not, though I think at least one must be.