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May 24, 1543
Nicolaus Copernicus publishes On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres
Nicolaus Copernicus, a native of Poland, published his famous book. -
Galileo Galilei publishes Starry Messenger
Galile's discoveries were published in this book -
Rene Descartes writes Discourse on Method
Descartes decided decided to set aside all that he had learned and to begin again. One fact seemed to him to be beyond doubt - his own existence. -
Isaac Newton publishes Principia
In the book, Newton defined the three laws of motion that govern the planetary bodies, as well as objects on the earth. -
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Reign of Frederick William I
In his reign, he doubled the size of Prussia's army. -
John Locke writes Essay Concerning Human Understanding
In it, he argued that ever person was born with a tabula rasa, or blank mind. -
The first daily newspaper printed in London
Newspapers were relatively cheap and were even provided free in many coffeehouses. -
Hanovers take British crown
Established when the last Stuart ruler, Queen Anne, died without and heir. -
Maria Theresa inherits the Austrian throne
She worked to centralize and strengthen the state when she took the throne. -
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Reign of Frederick II
Frederick the Great, was ine of the best educated and most cultured monarchs of the time. -
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War of Austrian Succession
Problems began when King Frederick II of Prussia violated the Pragmatic Sanction and invaded Silesia on 16 December 1740 -
Montesque writes The Spirit of the Laws
Was a study of governments. In it, he used the scientific method to try to find the natural laws that govern the social and political relationships of human beings. -
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The years in which Diderot published the Encyclopedia
"to change the general way of thinking." The encyclopedia became a weapon against the old French. -
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Beginning and end of the Seven Years’ War
involved all the major European powers of the period, causing 900,000 to 1,400,000 deaths. It enveloped both European and colonial theatres from 1756 to 1763. -
Rousseau writes The Social Contract
Through a social contract, an entire society agrees to be governed by its general will. -
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Catherine the Great rules Russia
Intelligent woman who was familiar with the works of the philosophers and seemed to favor enlightened reforms. -
Voltaire writes Treatise on Toleration
The writing reminded the government that "all men are brothers under God." -
On Crimes and Punishments written by CesareBeccaria
Argued that punishments should not be exercises in brutality. -
Stamp Act imposed on colonies
The act required certain written materials, such as legal documents and newspapers, to carry a stamp showing that a tax had been paid to Britain. -
Adam Smith writes The Wealth of Nations
Smith believed that the state should not interfere in economic matters. -
Treaty of Paris signed
Recognized the independance of the american colonies. -
first Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia
met to revise the articles of confederation. -
Mary Wollstonecraft writes A Vindication of the rights of Woman
An english writer who advanced the strongest statement for the rights of women. -
Rousseau writes Discourse on the Origins of the Inequality of Mankind
Argued that people had adopted laws and government in order to preserve their private property.