1001 People Who Made America - Alan Axelrod [103]
Pontiac (circa 1720–1769) An Ottawa chief, Pontiac became a major intertribal leader when he organized Indians in the region of the Great Lakes to resist the encroachment of white settlers at the end of the French and Indian War. Pontiac’s Rebellion began on May 7, 1763, when he led a raid on Fort Detroit. It continued until 1766, when the intertribal alliances fell apart.
Popé (died 1692) On August 10, 1680, this medicine man from the Tewa pueblo led a meticulously planned and coordinated revolt by Native American pueblos against the Spanish overlords. The rebellion culminated in the invasion of Santa Fe (New Mexico) on August 15. The Spanish did not regain control of Santa Fe until 1692 and of all the pueblos until 1696.
Porter, Cole (1891–1964) Porter composed for the musical stage, creating tunes and lyrics of consummate wit and worldly sophistication. Many of his songs became standards, including “Night and Day,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Begin the Beguine,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “In the Still of the Night,” “Just One of Those Things,” “Let’s Do It,” and “I Love Paris.”
Porter, Edwin S. (1869/70–1941) Born in Scotland, Porter immigrated to the United States and worked in Thomas Edison’s workshop-laboratory from 1895 to 1911. Edison, who invented all of the basic technical elements of filmmaking, chose Porter to exploit his inventions by creating films. With considerable artistic instinct and skill, Porter brought narrative drama to film and was especially adept at exploiting point of view and dramatic editing. Porter’s two major pioneering productions were the first U.S. documentary, the 1903 Life of an American Fireman, and the first true narrative film, The Great Train Robbery, also produced in 1903.
Porter, Katherine Anne (1890–1980) Texas-born Porter specialized in creating beautifully wrought, richly textured, emotionally insightful longer short stories that are, in effect, miniature novels. From the 1930s on, she enjoyed great critical acclaim, but did not command a large popular audience until the publication of her long-anticipated full-length novel, Ship of Fools, in 1962. A bestseller, it was made into a major film in 1965.
Post, Emily (1872–1960) Post was a regular contributor to magazines in the early 20th century and also wrote light fiction. In 1922, her publisher asked her to write a guide to etiquette. She produced that year Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home, which was an immediate bestseller and was frequently updated. Post became an etiquette columnist and radio commentator, and she was unchallenged through much of the 20th century as the arbiter of good manners in America.
Pound, Ezra (1885–1972) Pound was a challenging modern poet who promoted the work of other modernists, including William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Frost, D.H. Lawrence, and T.S. Eliot. His influence on modern literature—including modern American literature—was therefore profound. During World War II, this Idaho-born poet lived in Italy and made pro-fascist broadcasts. He was arrested after the war on charges of treason and confined to a Washington, D.C. area asylum until 1958.
Powell, Adam Clayton, Jr. (1908–1972) The son of a pastor and a pastor himself, Powell became the first black man to serve on the New York City Council in 1941. He went on in 1945 to become the U.S. representative from Harlem and served 11 terms in Congress as a champion of civil rights legislation. Powell was sued in the early 1960s by a woman who claimed he had wrongly accused her of collecting police graft. He was cited for contempt of court in 1966 for refusing to pay damages, and the following year the House voted to deprive him of his seat. Reelected nevertheless in 1968, he lost his House seniority and, after defeat in the 1970 Democratic primary, retired.
Powell, Colin (1937– ) Powell was the son of Jamaican immigrants and grew up in Harlem and the Bronx. He joined the army after graduating from the City