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Age of Absolutism
Letter from King Louis XVI to Jean-Baptiste Colbert titled “VIII–Mémoire pour l’instruction du Dauphin,” was written in 1665 in Paris (published in 1863). This letter is significant because King Louis XVI was instructing Colbert on what topics to teach his son, in the case of this letter, the topic was finance. This letter shows that education was valued by King Louis XVI and he would do all that he could to guarantee that his successor was formally educated on how to become the King of France. -
The Scientific Revolution
An English scientist named Isaac Newton published the Principia; the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy in 1687 (1846 edition, translated by Andre Motte) which redefined scientific and mathematical practices to model modernity. This work is significant as he explained (p 74) that you must be trained to understand geometry before executing a geometric problem. This explained the importance of a strong scientific education to ensure the proper execution of scientific experiments. -
Revolutions of 1848
In 1848 a German philosopher named Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto (2000 edition, published in London). The significance of this work could be seen in the chapter entitled “II Proletarians and Communists,” as he proposes that public education is the best way to ensure a better running state. Also, the author shares a feminist view that women should not be seen as a means of reproduction and should be given more respect by their husbands when bound in a marriage. -
Post-Second Industrial Revolution
This image is assumed to belong to Constance Savery, one of the first women to graduate from Oxford University. This image was taken in 1925 at Oxford University by Garry Weaser (published in 2019 by Mena Sultan for the Guardian Newspaper). This image is significant as it shows a new age in education, one that includes women. Notably, the women in this photo were most likely from wealthy families as they were the only women who were able to afford the fees to receive a post-secondary education.