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1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
He was an astronomer who proposed a heliocentric system. The theory is that the sun is at rest near the center of the universe and that the Earth, spinning once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. -
Francis Bacon
he is most famous for his philosophy of science.He argued that scientific knowledge is obtained after making observations and then utilizing inductive reasoning to interpret the observations -
Galileo Galilei
He was popularly known as the Father of Science and was a teacher, philosopher, astronomer, and physicist known to be an important part of the scientific revolution. he was the starter experimental scientific method and was the first to use a refracting telescope to make important astronomical discoveries. -
Rene Descartes
He helped establish several principles of philosophy, including modern rationalism. often credited with being the Father of Modern Philosophy. -
Isaac Newton
He was one of the world's best scientists he took ideas of older sciences and his ideas and combined them together to get a picture of how the universe works. He invented calculus and provided a clear understanding -
John Locke
His political theory of government by the consent of the governed as a means to protect the three natural rights of life, liberty, and estate deeply influenced the United States founding documents. -
Montesquieu
His writings helped to create a desire for freedom. He also helped to start the french Revolution articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which is implemented in many constitutions throughout the world. -
Denis Diderot
He published of Encyclopedia or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts. He was one of the originators and interpreters of the Enlightenment -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau's philosophies are believed to have influenced the American Revolution as well, as some of his ideas were drawn upon for the Declaration of Independence (1776).
Rousseau's theories of sovereignty and law had a direct influence on French revolutionaries such as Robespierre. -
Voltaire
Voltaire's ideas ultimately found expression in the French and American revolutions. He introduced the idea of their separation into revolutionary ideals. -
James Watt
James Watt's steam engine had an enormous impact on 18th-century industrial society. It was both more efficient and more cost-effective than earlier models. -
Adam Smith
Adam Smith attacked government intervention in the economy and provided a blueprint for free markets and free trade. He made a division of labor, gross domestic product (GDP), and the theory of the invisible hand. -
George Washington
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
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was a leading figure in America's early development. -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
He composed over 600 works, including some of the most famous and loved pieces of symphonic, chamber, operatic, and choral music. Mozart was born in Salzburg to a musical family. -
Maximillien Robespierre
From his initial rise to stardom in the Jacobin Club, Robespierre went on to dominate the powerful Committee of Public Safety and oversee the Reign of Terror. -
Miguel Hidalgo
issued the “Grito de Dolores” (“Cry of Dolores”), calling for the end of Spanish rule, for racial equality, and for redistribution of land. -
Simon Bolivar
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.