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1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
In “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres,” Copernicus' groundbreaking argument that Earth and the planets revolve around the sun led him to make several other major astronomical discoveries. -
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon contributed to the Scientific Revolution by laying the foundations for the scientific method. According to Bacon, people should seek truths based not on traditional assumptions but on that which they could observe for themselves. -
Galileo Galilei
He pioneered the scientific revolution that flowered in the work of Isaac Newton. Galileo's main contributions to astronomy were: The use of the telescope in observations (he did not invent the telescope) and The discovery of mountains on the moon. -
Rene Descartes
Descartes made the revolutionary discovery that he could solve problems in geometry by converting them into problems in algebra. In La Gèomètrie he showed that curves could be expressed in terms of x and y on a two-dimensional plane and hence as equations in algebra. -
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton is important for his contributions to the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries; specifically, his Law of Universal Gravitation, Three Laws of Motion, and invention of the reflecting telescope. -
John Locke
Often credited as a founder of modern “liberal” thought, Locke pioneered the ideas of natural law, social contract, religious toleration, and the right to revolution that proved essential to both the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution that followed. -
Montesquieu
Montesquieu was a French lawyer, man of letters, and one of the most influential political philosophers of the Age of Enlightenment. His political theory work, particularly the idea of separation of powers, shaped the modern democratic government. -
Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot influenced the French Revolution due to his willingness to publish texts that were critical of the established order, including the monarchy and the church, helping to promote revolutionary ideas. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau's ideas in Social Contract heavily influenced the Declaration of Independence. He claimed that people would give up unlimited freedom for the security provided by a government, but also that people of the state hold the ultimate right to power. -
Voltaire
Voltaire rebelled against the Church and most state institutions (aristocracy, monarchy, and bureaucrats). He advocated for social reform and equality. His writings gave the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers critical concepts to build a new form of government. -
James Watt
James Watt is chiefly known for inventing different types of steam engines that helped start the Industrial Revolution. To describe the efficiency of his engines, he coined the term 'horsepower' and devised a rev counter. Watt's inventions were not confined to engines. -
Adam Smith
As the American Revolution began, a Scottish philosopher started his economic revolution. In 1776, Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, probably the most influential book on market economics ever written. -
George Washington
George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army in 1775. Despite having little experience in commanding large, conventional military forces, his leadership presence and fortitude held the American military together long enough to secure victory at Yorktown and independence for his new nation in 1781. -
Thomas Jefferson
As the “silent member” of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence. In the years following he labored to make its words a reality in Virginia. Most notably, he wrote a bill establishing religious freedom, enacted in 1786. Jefferson succeeded Benjamin Franklin as minister to France in 1785. -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Early in 1789, Mozart accepted an invitation to travel to Berlin with Prince Karl Lichnowsky; they paused in Prague, Dresden (where he played at court), and Leipzig (where he improvised on the Thomaskirche organ). -
Maximillien Robespierre
During the Reign of Terror, Robespierre systematically convicted and guillotined members of rival factions in the name of bringing his utopian democratic ideal to life. Opposition arose, however, and in late July of 1794, members of the Convention voted for his arrest. Robespierre was imprisoned but then released. -
Miguel Hidalgo
On September 16, 1810—the date now celebrated as Mexican Independence Day—Hidalgo issued the “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), calling for the end of Spanish rule, racial equality, and redistribution of land. The speech effectively launched the Mexican War of Independence (1810–21). -
Simon Bolivar
Crisis Manager. Simón Bolivar is remembered today as the greatest leader of South American independence. Highly influenced by the examples of the United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon, he led a massive revolt against Spanish colonial rule in South America, beginning in 1810.