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1543
Nicolaus Copernicus
He proposed the idea that the earth and planets revolve around the sun. He also created many theories but his biggest one was the heliocentric theory. His writings created a lot of controversy because they challenged many beliefs. -
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon was a philosopher and a scientist. He also wrote about multiple subjects like science, law, religion, etc. He discovered the scientific method which impacts our lives today. -
Galileo Galilei
He discovered the concept of inertia. He was an astronomer as well as a mathematician. He made a lot of telescopic discoveries like the discovery of the four most massive moons of Jupiter. -
Rene Descartes
He was very very talented, he was a philosopher, a mathematician, and a scientist. He developed a system for using letters as mathematical variables. A big accomplishment was the use of algebraic formulas to describe geometric figures. -
Isaac Newton
Newton made three laws of motion which provided an understanding on how objects move. He was also known for his contribution on mathematics, he discovered calculus. Another thing he did was develope a new theory of light and color. -
John Locke
Locke was an english philosopher. He introduced the idea of natural law and religious toleration. He used a theory to argue that government has obligations to their citizens -
Montesquieu
He introduced the idea of three different branches of government. He was also a French lawyer and a writer. He is considered one of the founders of sociology as a scholarly discipline. -
Denis Diderot
His most famous accomplishment was The Encyclopédie. It is most famous for representing the thought of the Enlightenment. He advocated a form of democracy and the abolishment of slavery -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
He was one of the 18th centuries most important political thinkers. His work usually tended to focus on the relationship between human society and the individual. This was important because it questioned the purpose and place of government and its responsibility for its citizens. -
Voltaire
He has many contributions like poems, books, plays. His beliefs on freedom later led to the French Revolution. He was very interested in science which impacts our lives today -
James Watt
James Watt was an 18th-century inventor and instrument maker. Watt was important because he invented the steam engine. This also had a big impact because it was both more efficient and more cost-effective than earlier models. -
Adam Smith
Smith's writings were often studied by philosophers, writers, and economists. He was most famous for his 1776 book. He also formed the basis for theories of classical economics. -
George Washington
Washington was very important because he was the first president of the United States and formed a new nation. He was the commander of the Continental Army. He was also known for his patience, drive, attention to detail, strong sense of responsibility, and firm moral conscience. -
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was the third president of the United States. He was also the principal author for the Declaration of Independence. He was also very skilled, he was a statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father. -
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart was a influential composer of the Classical time period. His rapid pace of composition resulted in more than 800 works of every genre of his time. He created 24 operas which included a lot of famous works. -
Maximillien Robespierre
He was a leading member of the French Revolution. He was the son of a lawyer, he became a lawyer and distinguished himself in legal practice and as a local official. He had a lot of compassion representing the poor in court. -
Miguel Hidalgo
Hidalgo was a catholic priest. He launched the Mexican War of Independence with the issuing of his Grito de Dolores, or “Cry of Dolores. This was a speech that was given that is credited for beginning the Mexican revolution. -
Simon Bolivar
Bolivar was a former president of the republic of Venezuela. Bolivar ended slavery in the countries in which he held political power. He often fought for independence because he hoped that nations would unite.