Enlighten-ment Thinkers
He’s known as the “Father of Modern Philosophy” who declared, “I think, therefore I am.”
Who is René Descartes?
This 1776 document announced the American colonies’ independence from Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
He led Venezuela and other South American nations to independence from Spain.
Who is Simón Bolívar?
This French king was executed during the Revolution
Who was Louis XVI?
He discovered the laws of motion and gravity, shaping modern physics.
Who is Isaac Newton?
This Englishman developed a method of inquiry based on observation and experimentation
Who is Sir Francis Bacon?
This U.S. document, written in 1787, established a federal government with three branches.
What is the Constitution of the United States?
Known as the “Father of His Country,” he led the American Revolution and became the first U.S. president.
Who is George Washington?
The Third Estate represented this group in French society.
Who were the commoners (peasants, workers, and bourgeoisie)?
This English naturalist collected plant specimens on voyages with Captain Cook.
Who is Joseph Banks?
He proposed that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property.
Who is John Locke?
This economic idea, meaning “let do” or “let go,” argued that markets should be free from government interference.
What is laissez-faire?
This Haitian revolutionary led enslaved Africans in a rebellion that created the first Black republic.
Who is Toussaint L’Ouverture?
Formed in 1789, this body declared itself the true voice of the French people.
What was the National Assembly?
This expedition, sponsored by Thomas Jefferson, explored the Louisiana Territory.
What was the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
This Swedish scientist created a classification system for plants and animals still used today.
Who is Carl Linnaeus?
This Enlightenment reference work compiled scientific and philosophical knowledge to spread progress.
What is the Encyclopedia?
He led an uprising in Peru inspired by Incan heritage and resistance to Spanish rule.
Who is Túpac Amaru II?
This radical political club pushed for the execution of the king and broader revolutionary reforms.
Who were the Jacobins?
This 18th-century explorer mapped the Pacific and circumnavigated the globe three times.
Who was James Cook?
These French intellectuals promoted reason, progress, and freedom through writing and debate.
Who were the Philosophes?
Monarchs who adopted Enlightenment ideals to modernize their states were called this.
Who were Enlightened Despots?
This Mexican priest sparked the independence movement with his “Grito de Dolores.”
Who is Miguel de Hidalgo y Costilla?
His rise brought an end to the French Revolution and led to a new European empire.
Who is Napoleon Bonaparte?
This geographic problem puzzled scientists for centuries—how to determine a ship’s east-west position at sea.
What was the Problem of Longitude?