The Scientific Revolution Category
Enlightenment Thinkers Category
Rulers and Politics Category
The Arts Category
Miscellaneous Category
100

After studying planetary movements for many years, this astronomer reasoned that the stars and planets revolved around the sun. Fearing ridicule or persecution, he didn’t publish his findings until 1543, the year of his death.


Who is Nicolaus Copernicus?

100

This philosophe’s masterful use of satire got him into frequent trouble with the clergy, the aristocracy, and the government of France. Despite serving two prison terms and being exiled, he never stopped fighting for tolerance, reason, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech.

Who is Voltaire?

100

This individual ruled Russia as an enlightened despot, yet brutally crushed a massive uprising of serfs.

Who is Catherine the Great?

100

This cleaner and less frilly architectural and artistic style was inspired by Enlightenment ideals of Greece and Rome. The National Mall in Washington D.C. is a perfect example of this style. 

What is neoclassical?

100

Wealthy women served as hostesses for these social get-togethers in Paris (and Berlin) that allowed for the exchange and development of Enlightenment ideas. 


What are salons?

200

This is the (initially controversial) theory that the earth and the planets revolve around the sun. 

What is heliocentric theory?

200

This philosophe strongly disagreed with other philosophes on a number of matters. For instance, although most philosophes believed that reason, science, and art improve the lives of all people, he argued that civilization corrupts people’s natural goodness.

Who is Jean Jacques Rousseau?

200

He ruled Austria as an enlightened despot. Among his many reforms, he was the only enlightened despot to actually abolish serfdom.

Who is Joseph II?

200

Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven were all famous for doing this.

What is composing classical music?

200

He edited and published the Encyclopedia, a first in documenting non-academic fields of knowledge in addition to academic ones. 

Who is Denis Diderot?

300

Among his many scientific discoveries are the law of the pendulum and the fact that falling objects accelerate at fixed and predictable rates. Despite his genius, he lived the last years of his life under house arrest because his scientific findings did not go along with the Church authorities’ interpretation of the Bible.

Who is Galileo Galilei?

300

This aristocratic philosophe was devoted to the study of political liberty. In his famous book On the Spirit of the Laws, he proposed that separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of a government.

Who is Montesquieu?

300

He ruled Prussia as an enlightened despot.

Who is Frederick the Great?

300

This city became a capital for classical music. 

What is Vienna, Austria?

300

This mathematician developed analytical geometry, which links algebra and geometry. Of his own existence, he was sure; everything else was doubtful until proved by reason. In his writings, he urged scientists to rely on mathematics and logic to reach fundamental truths about the natural world.



Who is René Descartes?

400

This great mathematician and physicist brought together some of the theories and discoveries of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo under a single theory of motion known as the law of universal gravitation.

Who is Isaac Newton?

400

In A Vindication of the Rights of Women, this political thinker presented an argument for the education of women. She also declared that women should have the same political rights as men.

Who is Mary Wollstonecraft?

400

This political thinker believed that all humans are naturally selfish and wicked. He argued, therefore, that strong governments are necessary to control human behavior. To avoid chaos, he said, people enter into a social contract. They give up their rights in exchange for law and order.

Who is Thomas Hobbes?

400

Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding were both important for developing this genre. 

What is the modern English novel.

400

This brilliant mathematician used the data of Tycho Brahe to prove the accuracy of Copernicus’s basic ideas about the motion of the planets.

Who is Johannes Kepler?

500

This pioneer of the use of the scientific method in chemistry is considered the founder of modern chemistry. He is best known for the discovery of a law that helps to explain characteristics of gases.

Who is Robert Boyle?

500

This philosopher’s ideas greatly influenced criminal law reformers in Europe and North America. He argued against the use of torture and other common abuses of justice, including the death penalty. 

Who is Cesare Bonesana Beccaria?

500

This political thinker felt that people are reasonable beings. He supported self-government and argued that the purpose of government is to protect the natural rights of people. If government fails to protect these natural rights, he said, citizens have the right to overthrow it.

Who is John Locke?

500

This overly decorative style of art and architecture was extremely popular before the Enlightenment. 

What is baroque?

500

This English politician and writer had a passionate interest in science. In his writings, he criticized the techniques of the ancient and medieval scholars. He argued forcefully for the adoption of new scientific techniques such as the experimental method.

Who is Francis Bacon?

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