Alfred Nobel (1833-1896) was a Swedish chemical engineer and the inventor of dynamite and other explosives. He developed dynamite to help make mining safer. Nobel took keen interest in social problems, and his dream and motivation were to be of service to mankind. After Nobel’s death, his will was opened stating that his fortune be used for prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology and Peace. In 1900, the Nobel Foundation was established and statutes were adopted to create the Nobel Prizes.

The Nobel Peace Prize became an extension and a fulfillment of Alfred Nobel’s lifetime interests. It is awarded is awarded annually to the individual or group who has “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
For more detailed information about the Nobel Peace Prize download the “Introduction to the Peace Prize” lesson on the Teach Peace Webpage or visit the Norwegian Nobel Committee Webpage at: www.Nobel.no or http://nobelprize.org/.
American Recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize
Twenty one (21) individuals and three (3) groups from United States have won the Nobel Peace Prize, about one quarter of the total number awarded. The vision of the Nobel Peace Laureate Project is to honor our countrymen who have been recognized internationally for their contributions to world peace, and to inspire future peacemakers with examples of how the Peace Laureates contributed to a more peaceful world.
Below is a list of United States of America Peace Laureates. Click on the name of a laureate to access the page describing the individual’s accomplishments along with “.pdf” files that are structured as lessons for classroom instruction.

2009 — Barack H. Obama, former President of the United States
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and […]

2007 — Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States
Since his earliest days in the U. S. Congress 30 years ago, Al Gore has […]

2002 — Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States:
Carter was honored for his decades of effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, […]

1997 — Jody Williams, activist
1997 — International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL): The Nobel award was given because of […]

1987 — Eliezer Wiesel, author of works on the Holocaust
A naturalized citizen born in Romania, Wiesel was a veteran of Hitler’s concentration camps where […]

1985 — International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War:
Started in the United States at the height of the Cold War, by 1985, it […]

1973 — Henry Kissinger, U. S. Secretary of State
Shared the award with Le Duc Tho of North Vietnam. The latter refused the award. […]

1970 — Norman Borlaug, Plant Biologist
Working mainly in Mexico, Borlaug was a central figure in the “Green Revolution” that created […]

1964 — Martin Luther King, Jr. , Minister and advocate of non- violence
King was honored for the way he waged his struggle for justice. Instead of violence […]

1962 — Linus Pauling, Chemist and Opponent of Nuclear Weapons Testing
In 1964 Pauling won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and became only the second person […]

1953 — George Marshall, Secretary of State
Formerly head of the U. S. army during World War II, Marshall proposed and put […]

1950 — Ralph Bunche, United Nations diplomat
For 11 months Bunche worked on an agreement that ended the war between Israel and […]

1947 — American Friends Service Committee
The award was shared with the Friends Service Council of the United Kingdom. Their motto […]

1946 — John Mott, Peace Activist
In both World Wars, Mott sought to improve conditions in Prisoner of War camps. General […]

1946 — Emily Balch, Peace Activist
Balch helped found the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom and was active in […]

1945 — Cordell Hull, Secretary of State
Advocate of freer international trade by means of reducing trade restrictions. Hull worked for Reciprocal […]

1931 — Nicholas Murray Butler, President of Columbia University
Butler was the head of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It was Butler who […]

1931 — Jane Addams, social worker
Addams was President of the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom. She was expelled […]

1929 — Frank Kellogg, Secretary of State
Kellogg helped negotiate the Kellogg-Briand Pact that outlawed war. It was signed by over fifty […]

1925 — Charles Dawes, Banker and later Vice-President of the United States
The award was shared with J. Austen Chamberlain of the United Kingdom. Dawes developed and […]

1919 — Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States
President Wilson proposed the 14 Points Peace Plan that led to the World War I […]

1912 — Elihu Root, Diplomat and former U. S. Secretary of State
Root tried hard to increase understanding between the United States and Latin America. He was […]

1906 — Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States successfully mediated the negotiations that led […]