History Characters / AmericanGirlsCollectionHistoricalCharacters

* DissensionRemorse: In ''Happy Birthday, Molly'', Emily and Molly have an argument over party plans, leading Emily to call Molly a spoiled child that has to have everything her own way, but then, the very next morning, Emily appears to feel bad about it, and soon, she tells Molly that she soon realizes that Molly misses her father very much, and that life during World War 2 isn't easy for her either.

* DissensionRemorse: In Kit's Surprise, after Kit and Ruthie have an argument, Kit cries about everything she's lost during the Great Depression. Then, she soon realizes that Ruthie may be jealous of Kit due to Kit having many responsibilities and a more grown-up life, and Kit immediately feels bad about everything, and constantly tries to work things out with Ruthie in many ways but still gets the cold shoulder. However, after Kit is able to call Ruthie while she is at Uncle Hendrick's house, Ruthie comes to rescue her. Then, the two girls walk home and talk about how generous Ruthie was and that Kit must be happy about writing again on her typewriter, the two girls give each other gifts and tell each other to have a Merry Christmas.

* DissensionRemorse: In Caroline's Secret Message, Caroline and Rhonda have an argument in the shipyard, leading Caroline to snap at Rhonda, saying that she wishes that she stayed in Albany, leading Rhonda to walk away. Pretty soon, however, the two girls learn how to get along, and after Rhonda styles Caroline's hair, Caroline apologizes for the argument in the shipyard.

* SpoiledSweet: She may appear to be a spoiled girl that has to have everything her own way in the beginning to some fans, but she becomes more mature starting from the end of Happy Birthday, Molly. Also, American Girl describes her as "sweet."

* MenLikeDogsWomenLikeCats: While both Isabel and Nicki are girls, the more feminine Isabel loves cats and the more tombyish Nicki is a dog lover.

* TenderTomboyishnessFoulFemininity: Felicity is tomboyish and active but actually very sweet and caring and tries very hard to be as ladylike as Elizabeth and Annabelle during Miss Manderly's tea and stitching lessons, while Annabelle is more proper and ladylike but more snobby and arrogant and always envies Felicity for many reasons.

* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: She's a hotheaded tomboy who loves the outdoors and horseback riding, and usually balks at being forced to do most ladylike things, but she comes to enjoy Miss Manderly's tea and stitching lessons, and is excited to go to the ball at the governor's palace.

* IChooseToStay: [[spoiler:Speaking Rain chooses to remain with White Braids's village.]]

* MeaningfulRename: When [[spoiler:Swan Circling dies, she gifts Kaya her saddle, as well as her name for when she is ready for it. Kaya vows that in the future she will be worthy of her hero's name.]]

* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:When Kaya finds Speaking Rain again, she's been adopted by White Braids, a member of another tribe whom she vows not to leave. After Kaya gets over being upset about it, she suggests that Speaking Rain spend part of the year with each family. It works.]]

* TheDefroster: To Elizabeth, and a little bit [[spoiler:to Jiggy Nye in the last book.]]
* FatalFlaw: Her impulsiveness.

* BittersweetEnding: ''Meet Kirsten.'' The final chapter shows Kirsten arriving in Minnesota and becoming friends with her cousins. The previous chapter has Kirsten [[spoiler:dealing with the death of her best friend Marta]]. Her next book does the same, as she's learned English and began to settle in to the point of choosing to stay rather than run away, but her new friend Singing Bird has to leave because the settlers have caused a food shortage for the native population (though, if a reader is familiar with the genocide against Native Americans that would occur in Minnesota the following decade, it may be less sad and more just averting InferredHolocaust, at least in sparing a named character).
* BravingTheBlizzard: In ''Kirsten's Surprise.''
* BreakTheCutie: Once her friend Marta passes away from cholera.
* CagedBirdMetaphor: An inverted example in ''Changes for Kirsten:'' After a long, difficult winter during which the Larson cabin burned down, Kirsten's family has managed to save up enough money to purchase the Stewarts' old house. Kirsten is sad that her friends Mary and John Stewart are leaving to follow the Oregon Trail, but she's comforted by a good-bye letter and a bird-in-a-cage optical illusion toy they left for her.

* CountryCousin: Kirsten had not even met her uncle's family prior to the series, as they lived on a separate continent. For obvious reasons, they're more suited to farm life.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The pioneer life in the 1800s is not all picnics and swims in the river. Deaths of children are discussed, and in one of the mini-books, a little boy is orphaned, describing how he saw his own mother be crushed under a boulder and slowly die.
* DeathOfAChild: Kirsten’s best friend from Sweden, Marta, who is the same age of nine, dies from cholera in the middle of the journey to the frontier.
* DeathByChildbirth: Kirsten is afraid of losing her mother this way when one of her schoolmates tells her that her own aunt died giving birth. Luckily, her mother survives the birth and her sister is fine.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: In ''Kirsten Learns a Lesson,'' when Kirsten learns that the nearby Dakota tribe are normal humans like her, and then learns about how terrible their life has become due to the white settlers. She begins to question everyone's fear of them and the treatement they are recieving. The fact that readers know that Singing Bird is doomed to a DownerEnding doesn't make this better.

* FishOutOfWater: When she and family first migrate to America.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Loves many animals, even raccoons and baby bears, to her detriment.

* HollywoodCostuming: Bangs were an unpopular style for girls in the 1850s; Kirsten likely has them as the other dolls first released with her, Molly and Samantha, did as well, and it was easier to make similar wigs.
* HouseFire: In ''Changes for Kirsten;'' perhaps metaphorically [[LetThePastBurn letting the past burn]] before they move into a new home.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: When Kirsten brings a raccoon into the house, the raccoon ends up setting the home on ''fire.''
* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Kirsten ends her first book living in a new country, befriending her cousins, and [[spoiler:mourning her best friend]], and she ends her last book [[spoiler:in a new house again after the previous one burned down]].

* PinkMeansFeminine: Wears a pink bonnet in her default outfit, and has a pink dress for her birthday. She also states that pink is her favorite color.

* PlayingHouse: Her and her cousins play dolls in the barn.

* RepetitiveName: Her older brother, Lars Larson.
* ReplacementGoldfish: Since Kirsten's doll Sari is in the family's trunk and far away for the first half of the series, Kirsten makes a sock doll from an old stocking stuffed with milkweed floss and calls it Little Sari, until she and her father get the trunks in ''Kirsten's Surprise.''

* ShoutOut: Kirsten's first poem recitation for school is ''Literature/TheRimeOfTheAncientMariner.''

* StayInTheKitchen: Lars's friend John didn't want Kirsten following them on their trapping trip, expecting her to stay home with the "women and children", Lars argues that Kirsten has keen sense for animals and knows her way around a forest along with possessing extra hands to carry the pelts. Kirsten is puzzled by John's objections.
* SternTeacher: Kirsten has Miss Winston, who at first seems to expect her to learn English too quickly. She mellows out when, like many pioneer teachers who boarded with students' families, she comes to live with the Larsons and gets to know Kirsten better.
* StockAnimalName: Kirsten's horse Blackie.

* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Kirsten becomes very interested in quiltmaking while trying to make a present for her teacher, not knowing that her and her friends are actually working on ''her'' birthday present.

* TrueBlueFemininity: Her first dress in America (inherited from Cousin Inger) is a sky blue with a floral print and her summer dress is white with blue vertical lines.

* VirtuousBees: Kirsten and her family begin beekeeping in order to sell honey.

* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Sweden is going through a massive famine, and Kirsten's family are traveling across the ocean to another continent, then going far inland, in 1854. Them going back home is practically impossible and they know it. Also implied with Singing Bird's village, who were driven out of their home due to the white settlers.

* DeadGuyJunior: After [[spoiler:Swan Circling dies, Kaya is given her name—the greatest gift a Nez Perce can give. She makes it her goal to grow into the name (she's called Kaya throughout the rest of the series).]]

* DoomedByCanon: Doomed by ''Reality.'' When the book opens with Courtney excited for the ''Challenger'' launch, thos who remember the era flinch, dreading what's coming.

Twin girls who live in Seattle at the TurnOfTheMillennium in a interfaith family. Both have different styles and interests (girly Isabel likes pink, dancing, and parties and has a large friend group; shyer tomboyish Nicki likes grunge and skateboarding, and initially is only friends with her sister), but still love and value each other and are both worried and excited by the upcoming change int othe year 2000.

They are the second paired historical release, after Marie-Grace and Cecile, and were released in 2023. They are also the first characters to not be released with their meet book availiable; each instead has has a character-written journal, with their combined book releasing later in 2023.

* IntercontinuityCrossover: Isabel and Nicki enjoy playing on the American Girl site and receiving American Girl Magazine.

* MillenniumBug: A plot point in the series, as Nicki is terrified the Y2K bug will end the world.
* NinetiesHair: Nicki's grunge style and dyed hair. Isabel has shades of this, too, with her tennis pigtails.
* PetsAsAPresent: They get their pets for the first night of Hannukah.

* SimultaneousArcs: While their first book featured both [=POVs=], the dolls were originally released with separate journals taking place over the same month.
* ThisIsMySide: Each mark territory over half of their room.

* TotallyRadical: Very 90s! (Despite technically being Y2K dolls.)

* YouGoGirl: Incredibly ham-fisted, with Isabel and Nicki both setting "Girl Power" goals, and Nicki trying to prove that girls can skateboard, too.

The gilier twin who likes pink, parties, and dancing.

* ArtsyBeret: For her Meet outfit.
* CheeryPink: An optimistic girl clothed constantly in pink.
* DIYDisaster: Decides to cheer herself up by completely redoing her room in pink, which works... until her grunge sister, who she shares a room with, arrives.
* GirlyGirlWithATomboyStreak: Isabel is definitely the more girly twin due to her love of pop music, pink, the Powerpuff Girls, and fashion. However, she also has a sporty side when playing tennis.
* GirlishPigtails: When playing tennis.

* PassionateSportsGirl: Becomes one after she takes up Tennis.
* PinkMeansFeminine: Incredibly girly, incredibly pink.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Not only shares the name of 2014's Girl of the Year Isabelle, she has the same hair and eye color, as well as the same color scheme and interest in fashion and dance.

The shyer, more tomboyish twin. Nicki is five minutes older.

* {{Hipster}}: A little bit.

* SiblingSenioritySquabble: According to Isabel's journal, Nicki insists that she should get to do things first because she is five minutes older.
* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: While not as obvious as Saige, this Nicki shares several similarities to the first Nicki, the 2007 Girl of the Year Nicki Fleming: firstly, the exact same name spelling for no apparent reason. Secondly, both Nickis have brown hair, blue eyes, some serious anxiety and a huge love for dogs. They're also both the oldest siblings in their family.

Historical Characters (and companions) from the Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection, listed in chronological order. Companion Characters are listed with the main character.

Kaya was released in 2002 and is billed as the First American Girl.

[[MyNameIsInigoMontoya Not related to Inigo Montoya.]]

The first doll of color and first Black Character, Addy was released in 1993.

Samantha was released in 1986 at the launch of the company and the first character to be archived in 2009; she was then rereleased in 2014 as part of the [=BeForever=] rebranding.

Kit was released in 2000 and was the first character to be released once Mattel fully owned the company.

* DadTheVeteran: Her father was in World War I.
* DoNotCallMePaul: Finds Margaret Mildred to be too "flouncy".

* FeudEpisode: ''Kit's Surprise,'' with Ruthie.

Historical Characters (and companions) from the Literature/AmericanGirlsCollection.

* CoolHorse: Her pride and joy, Steps High.

* RedOniBlueOni: Kaya (an outgoing, hot-blooded {{OutdoorsyGal}}) and Blue Oni Speaking Rain (a quiet, reserved and blind girl who initially depends on Kaya for protection).

* TakeAThirdOption: [[spoiler:When Kaya finds Speaking Rain again, she's been adopted by White Braids, whom she vows not to leave. After Kaya gets over being upset about it, she suggests that Speaking Rain spend part of the year with each family. It works.]]
* Tomboy: She is pretty much the most tomboyish American Girl historical character. There is really nothing "girly" or feminine about her. She is very active, adventurous, and outgoing.

* AllGirlsLikePonies: Has a special fondness for Penny, a pony who was under the possession of [[GrumpyOldMan Jiggy Nye]].

* UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution: Her stories are set in the year 1775, at the heart of the Revolutionary War.

* TheBabyOfTheBunch: Josefina, the youngest of her sisters.

* TrueCompanions: The girls become this by the end of their sixth book.

%% * [[ABoyAndHisX A Girl And Her Dog]]: With her beloved Argos, he accompanies her everywhere she goes. %% Add more context to describe their relationship and what effect it has on them. %%

* GirlyGirl: She and Cecile are the girliest historicals.

* AffectionateNickname: CéCé.
* ApatheticStudent: Dislikes her lessons, especially Writing, despite her talent for it.
* AttentionWhore: Unlike her shy friend Marie-Grace, Cécile is characterized as being confident, curious, and loving the limelight.
* TheBeautifulElite: A lovely, high-class girl.

* UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar: The time period in which her stories are set in.

* ArcWords: "Freedom's got a cost," the last words said by Uncle Solomon to Addy and her mother before they escape the plantation and flee to freedom in the North. Every step toward making a new life is hard for the Walker family—finding a job, learning to read, searching for their missing family members, and dealing with prejudice from white Philadelphians—but as long as they have each other, they can overcome anything.

* NeverLearnedToRead: Due to her enslavement. She learns quickly once she's escaped.

* PinkMeansFeminine: Her first dress in freedom is a cinnamon pink calico with white pinstripes, and she loved it so much.

* TokenBlack: Among the original American Girl dolls; it would take over ten years for Cécile, the next black character doll, to be introduced.

* CallingTheOldManOut: In ''Nellie's Promise'', she finally calls her Uncle Mike out on how terribly he treated her and her sisters.

* DemotedToExtra: Samantha's first two books focused on her relationship with Nellie (a poorer Irish immigrant child her age) and had an antagonist in Edith Eddleton, a well-to-do girl with a snobbish attitude. However, the plotlines and focus on class issues proved controversial; the first author, Susan S. Adler, was replaced for the third book which barely included Nellie and changed Edith from an antagonist to a minor acquaintance. Valerie Tripp wrote the last three books: Nellie is never mentioned by name in ''Happy Birthday, Samantha'' (leading to the fan theory that Grandmary, who was still slowly getting through her classism, didn't allow Samantha to invite her to her birthday party and made her invite Edith instead), and is entirely absent from ''Samantha Saves The Day,'' before coming back into the spotlight (at the center of a non-class-related plot arc) in ''Changes for Samantha.''

* DontSplitUsUp: Nellie is chosen to go on the orphan train to find work, but her sisters must stay behind at the orphanage because they’re too young. Samantha helps Nellie and her sisters escape before they are separated.

* WiseBeyondHerYears: Keenly aware that not everything adults do is right (i.e. segregated neighborhoods, child labor, other Edwardian Era social ills) and behaves maturely for her age along with being proficient in math.

* ToyBasedCharacterization: Claudie doesn't realize how good of a storyteller she actually is, cause she considers her puppet theatre "just a thing" she does for Jody.

* {{Bookworm}}: Both she and Kit read a lot, though Ruthie brings up her fantasy stories more often. Kit sees her as a creative writer.

* SpoiledSweet: Unlike Kit, Ruthie's family is not financially affected by the Depression, which allows Ruthie to continue going to the movies and engaging in paid hobbies such as dance, tennis, vacations, and horseback riding lessons. Even so, she is generous to the Kittredge's and willingly tries to aid them in whichever way she can. In her story, she is sweet and friendly to working-class inhabitants of rural Kentucky and doesn't look down her nose, instead finding a storybook quality about their village, fascinating in how friendly the folks are, singing along on wagon rides, and being non-show offy about her privilege in general.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: The fairy tale buff Girly Girl to Kit's no-nonsense Tomboy.

* YellowPurpleContrast: She is often illustrated with a dress of pale yellow and purple.

* AbortedArc: After Pearl Harbor happens, Nanea completely abandons about her quest to win a bike. This is done intentionally to show how fast she had to grow up, as shown late in ''Growing Up With Aloha'' when she offhandedly mentions to her mother that she forgot all about it.

* {{Foil}}: A Doylist foil to Molly; while Molly lived in an area relatively unaffected by the war that was coming to an end, Nanea witnesses America's entry into the war on her home turf.
* ForegoneConclusion: At the beginning of her story, Nanea's family hopefully discusses if the war might end soon. Later we see her write the date on the school chalkboard– December 6, 1941. Sorry, guys, this won't end well.

* UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: The time period in which her story is set. Her story focuses on the war in the Pacific, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the aftermath of that attack as it affects the local population.

* AbsentAnimalCompanion: Her dog is never mentioned again following ''Happy Birthday, Molly!''
* AdaptedOut: Her youngest brother, Brad.

* AlliterativeName: If one counts the "Mc" in her last name.

* CatchYourDeathOfCold: Molly sleeps with wet hair to set it in pin curls for a performance, but catches a cold and [[GameBreakingInjury can't be in the show at all.]]

* UsefulNotes/WorldWarII: The time period in which her story is set. Her story focuses on the home front and the war in Europe.

* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: While she was already pretty traumatized by the bombings in the books, the film ups it by having her mother killed in one of the attacks.

* AscendedExtra: Emily was originally a minor character who stayed with Molly's family for two weeks. She was later made into a doll, given her own book and starred prominently in the movie.

* TheFifties: Her time period.
* FiftiesHair: Wears her hair with short bangs and a long, curly ponytail.
* AdaptedOut: Her youngest brother in the film.

* CanineCompanion: Her dog, Scooter.
* CheerfulChild: She is a good-natured and optimistic girl with big ideas and who enjoys pastimes.

* UsefulNotes/ColdWar: While not a huge part of her series, Maryellen mentions having to go through bomb drills in school, in case of attacks from "communist Russia."

* DadTheVeteran: Mr. Larkin fought in World War II.

* TheSixties: Her time period, focusing on the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement.
* SixtiesHair: Has relaxed hair in a long flipped out bouffant.
* AdaptedOut: In her InNameOnly adaptation, almost everyone from her huge family is cut out, leaving only her, her mother, and her grandfather. This cuts her beloved grandmother, her three siblings, her father, her dog, her best friend cousin and her parents, and her two best friends from school, Sharon and Diane. Her best friends are replaced by white classmate Tricia.

* LiveActionAdaptation: ''Melody 1963: Love Has to Win'' (2016) InNameOnly.
* MeaningfulName: She is a singer....

* PinkMeansFeminine: An outfit that she borrows from her sister to record a song has a lot of pink florals. Her cousin Val also wears pink often.

* ShoutOut: A lot of 60s Protest songs, such as "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Melody, Lila and Val also dress up as the Marvelettes. Melody also watches Martin Luther King Jr's famous "I Have a Dream" speech on TV.

* SignificantBirthDate: January 1, representing new beginnings.
* TraumaButton: After hearing about the Birmingham Bombings, she is too traumatized to go into church without crying. When she finally returns, she is supported by her friend group.

* TheSeventies: Time period.
* SeventiesHair: Has long, sleek hair that goes down to her back, as was popular in that decade.

* SeventiesHair: In some books, she has her hair cut in a pageboy that mimics [[https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=nancy%20drew%201974&rs=typed&term_meta=nancy%7Ctyped&term_meta=drew%7Ctyped&term_meta=1974%7Ctyped Nancy Drew]].
* AdaptationalHairstyleChange: While her style changes throughout the books, she always has bangs. In the film, no bangs, and a long ponytail in the book where she had shoulder-length hair.

* TheEighties: No, duh! She loves ''Pac-Man'', is a ValleyGirl, has EightiesHair, and her signature collection is described as "totally rad", "ultimate", and "awesome".

* BlandNameProduct: Some of her other favorite video games are "Gorilla Run" (highley likely to be VideoGame/DonkeyKong) and "Space Blaster", which could be any well known space shooting game but is likely ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}}.''
* BlendedFamilyDrama: Mainly with her sister, Tina.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: Her half-brother, Rafi, is just too damn cute.
* ConspicuousConsumption: Courtney, her stepsister, and her best friends spend most of their time at the Mall.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: One of the pretend snacks that came with Courtney's lunch box has the label "Cheese Flavored Cheese Puffs."
* DisappearedDad: While her Dad is very present in her life, he has to move farther away, which makes their visits less frequent. She is very upset over this.
* DoomedByCanon: Doomed by ''Reality.'' When the book opens with Courtney excited for the ''Challenger'' launch, audiences flinch, dreading what's coming.
* FashionHurts: Courtney gets her ears pierced in her first book, and the book describes her ears as bright red and throbbing in the moments afterwards.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: They are Jewish on their father's side and as part of an interfaith family, celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. However, the only representation in their collection is that they got thier pets and journals on the last day of Hannukkah.

* AlphaBitch: The new member of her friend group, Cammy.

* AloofDarkHairedGirl: Introverted and alternative Nicki.

* DaddysGirl: Implied.
* DeadpanSnarker: To a point.

* TenderTomboyishnessFoulFemininity: Julie is tomboyish but caring and compassionate while Tracy is more demanding sometimes.

* TomboyWithAGirlyStreak: She's usually outspoken, tomboyish, and adventurous, but also loves embroidery and sewing. Also, she wears pink as her Meet Outfit and has a lot of of feminine dresses to match with the 1810s time period. She sure is a good example of a girl with a girly appearance but a tomboyish personality.

* AmbiguouslyChristian and AmbiguouslyJewish: At this point in the girls' release, it's unknown whether they are religiously Jewish or Christian. They celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah.
* BirthdayBuddies: Obviously, as twins. They were both born on May 22, 1990.

* ConvertingForLove: Subverted with the Hoffmans' parents; their dad is Jewish and their mother is Christian, and the girls were raised in a happy interfaith household.

* MenLikeDogsWomenLikeCats: While both Isabel and Nicki are girls, the more feminine Isabel loves cats and the more masculine Nicki is a dog lover.
* MillenniumBug: A minor plot point in the series, as Nicki is afraid the Y2K bug will end the world.
* NinetiesHair: Mainly Nicki's grunge style and dyed hair, though Isabel has shades of this, too, with her tennis pigtails.
* PetsAsAPresent: They get their dog and cat for the first night of Hannukah.

* ShoutOut: SO MUCH.
** Isabel is a hardcore stan of the {{Music/SpiceGirls}}, while Nicki loves {{Music/NoDoubt}} and Isabel's friends are fans of {{Music/NSync}}.

** Nicki mentions reading ''Addy Learns a Lesson.''

[[folder: Felicity Merriman (1774)]]

[[folder: Josefina (1824)]]

[[folder: Cécile and Marie-Grace (1853)]]
!!Both Marie-Grace and Cécile

[[folder: Kirsten (1854)]]

[[folder: Addy (1864)]]

[[folder: Samantha (1904)]]

[[folder: Rebecca (1914)]]

* AlliterativeName: Her full name start with R's.
* AllJewsAreAshkenazi: Rebecca and her family are all Russian Ashkenazi Jews. The only other Jewish dolls in the lineup (Lindsey and the Hoffman twins) are also Ashkenazi.

[[folder: Claudie (1922)]]

[[folder: Kit (1934)]]

[[folder: Nanea (1941)]]

[[folder: Molly (1944)]]

[[folder: Maryellen (1954)]]
!! Maryellen "Ellie" Larkin

[[folder: Melody (1964)]]

[[folder: Julie (1974)]]

[[folder: Courtney (1986)]]

[[folder: Isabel and Nicki (1999)]]

[[folder: Kaya (1764)]]

[[folder: Felicity (1774)]]

[[folder: Caroline (1812)]]