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Jan 1, 1543
Copernicus Publishes Heliocentric Theory
Heliocentric theory was the theory that the Earth revolved around the sun. This replaced Geocentric Thoery, which claimed that the sun revolved around the Earth. By publishing his theory, Copernicus was challenging the Catholic Church. -
Hobbes Publishes Leviathon
Hobbes supported the idea of a social contract. He believed that people would always wage war against eachother, and that the only way to stop this was to give up certain rights to a government. The government would then keep the people safe. -
Newton Publishes Treatise on Law of Gravity
Newton believed that gravity was the reason that things were held to the Earth, and that the Earth revolves around the Sun. Newton challenged the Catholic Church by doing this. -
"The Social Contract" is Published
This book was published by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He believed that the people, not monarchs, should be in charge of the government. This book challenged monarchs. -
American Colonies Declare Independence
As the American Colonies were mistreated by their motherland, England, they decided to declare independence. They based their ideas of what their country would be like on Enlightenment ideas. -
Start of French Revolution
The Third Estate (lower class) was very unsatisfied with the way they were taxed and treated by the government and King Louis XVI. With ideas based on the Enlightenment and the majority of the population, the Third Estate rebelled against their government. -
Storming of the Bastille
Out of fear and rebellion, the people of France attacked and overthrew the Bastille, which was a prison. Afterwards, they paraded the heads of those killed around the city. -
Mary Wollstonecraft Publishes "A Vindication of the Rights of Women"
Mary Wollstonecraft was an enlightenment thinker who supported the equality of men and women. She started the idea of women's rights, giving the ideas to women hundreds of years later. -
King Louis XVI is Executed; the Reign of Terror Begins
The people of France executed their king, King Louis XVI. Following his execution was a time of violence called the Reign of Terror. This was caused by rival political parties. -
Napoleon Crowns Himself as Emperor
Napoleon took over as the emporer of France after King Louis XVI, starting the First French Empire. Napoleon was a dictator who helped to bring the french power, which was quickly lost in an invasion by Russia.
