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Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws
Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws, sparked the "High enlightenment" phase. His work undermines the French Monarchy and the Aboslutism theory that was in effect in France at the time. In Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu believes that laws must be "Subject to critical inquiry and historical study because they develop over time" (Meriman, 318). He opposes Slavery and opposes absolute rule claiming that a King's rule must come from the people, not from God. -
Industrial Revolution: Owen's Observations on the Effect of the Manufacturing System
In Owen's Observation document, he discusses the necessary changes in British Legislation that needs to take place due to the Industrialization and its changes. He contest s the fact that the Industrial Revolution is actually detrimental in the long run and demands reforms. The areas of reform are most notably, a reduction, in working hours, child labor laws which establishes a minimum age requirement saying children must be 12 years of age and be able to read and write. -
Darwin's On the Origin of Species
Darwin's ideas of "Survival of the Fittest" explained in On the Origin of Species made many Victorians happy, because it confirmed their belief that the way to success was through ambition and hard work, not by patronage. However, with his theory, Darwin' expressed the belief that man evolved from animals . This was in serious contflict with religious teachings that were the dominant belief system. Darwin's work , combined with others, highligthts the battle between religion and science. -
Emily Davison
Known for her death during the Epsom Downs Derby, Davison was a member of Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) who fought for women's Suffrage. The prevailing belief was that women were inferior in intelligence to men and belonged in the kitchen. To attract attention to women's Suffrage, Davison tried to tie a scarf soaying Votes for Women, onto a horse downed by King George V during the Derby She died for the fight of Women equality. -
Bolshevik Revolution: Lenin's April Thesis
Vladimir Lenin issued the April Thesis that condemned his fellow Bolshevik members twho had started supporting the Provisional Government. He believed that Bolsheviks had to revolt against the new Government immediately, which divided many of the Bolsheviks. Those who disagreed left. Once in power, the Bolsheviks chose to withdraw from WWI, distribute d land among the peasants, nationalized banks and urged the Soviets to control the government. -
World War II: Hitler's Mein Kampf
Hitler's Mein Kampf (My Struggle) written in prison reflects many of the Nazi Party's views. He establishes a race hierarchy, establishing the superiority of the Aryan Race in aspects of physical appearance, intelligence and culture. In contrast, he identifies the Jews, as parasites, who are the reason for the downfall of humanity. Furthermore, in Mein Kampf, Hitler explains the need tor the Aryan Race, to attain more land, a plan which he carries out during WWII.
