15. Joseph Smith
The founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints was controversial in his lifetime and remains controversial to some today, but the influence of his followers on American history is obvious. Beyond the founding of the state of Utah and of course Salt Lake City, the archival records retained by the church in the area of genealogy are indispensable to researchers of America’s past. Smith was charged with treason twice in his short lifetime and died in jail while awaiting trial, which made him a martyr to some, a criminal to others, an enigma to still others, but nonetheless a major influence on the growth and development of the United States.