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1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
believes the sun is the center of the universe, he was interested in studying the universe called the naked eye, that the Earth, spinning on its axis once daily, revolves annually around the Sun. -
Francis Bacon
In order to test potential truths or hypotheses, Bacon devised a method whereby scientists set up experiments to manipulate nature and attempt to prove their hypotheses wrong. -
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei pioneered the experimental scientific method and was the first to use a refracting telescope to make important astronomical discoveries. He is often referred to as the “father of modern astronomy” and the “father of modern physics”. -
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
He invented calculus and provided a clear understanding of optics. But his most significant work had to do with forces, and specifically with the development of a universal law of gravitation and his laws of motion. -
John Locke
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
He argued like Locke and Thomas Jefferson that all people were created equal. If the King did not have the right to rule, then the people had the right to rebel which they did. Montesquieu's writings helped to create a desire for freedom and helped to spark the French Revolution. -
Denis Diderot
publication of "Encyclopedia or a Systematic Dictionary of the Sciences, Arts, and Crafts." In this largely successful work, Diderot explored all human knowledge and provided readers with a deep analysis of nearly all aspects of human -
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). His ideas on democracy were incorporated into the United States government, as well as many others that followed. -
Voltaire
His books and pamphlets contained scores of assaults on church authority and clerical power. They criticized French political institutions too, and many incorporated elaborate defenses of civil liberty. Voltaire's ideas ultimately found expression in the French and American revolutions -
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
Finally, in March 1776, Smith published An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. This massive work of almost 1,000 pages was based on his exhaustive research and personal observations. Smith attacked government intervention in the economy and provided a blueprint for free markets and free trade. -
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 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
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was one of the most influential, popular and prolific composers of the classical period. He composed over 600 works, including some of the most famous and loved pieces of symphonic -
Maximillien Robespierre
Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (1758-1794) was a French lawyer who became one of the primary leaders of the French Revolution (1789-1799). 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
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, for racial equality, and for 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.