Historical Figures Empowering the People

In the 16-18th centuries, Europe was in a Cultural Revolution, all climaxing to the French Revolution. Great strides were made in science, with Galileo’s work and the confirmation of the heliocentric theory. This theory was first studied by Copernicus, who disagreed with Aristotle’s theory of a geocentric solar system. Vesalius began to dissect cadavers and progressed in medicine and study of human anatomy. Martin Luther and Henry VIII had sparked the Protestant Reformation, and new religions began to form all throughout Europe, challenging the Catholic Church. Artists created new styles of painting and architecture, leaving the simple, poorly done works of the medieval ages behind. Isaac Newton introduced calculus, the discovery of gravity and his three laws of motion.

All of these cultural nuances allowed people to act and think for themselves, as well as challenging their prior beliefs and knowledge. Queen Elizabeth of England was becoming one of the greatest female rulers and she was making England one of the most powerful countries in the world. Voltaire was promoting freedom of speech and religion, and the separation of church and state. Ideas such as his would lead to the demise of the Holy Roman Empire. By affecting state affairs pertaining to freedoms, justice, and legislature, Queen Elizabeth of England and Voltaire empowered the people of their times to think and be free.

Queen Elizabeth empowered others by granting religious freedom and securing the social and economic structure of England. Queen Elizabeth I of England was one of the most powerful rulers of her time. Although she was a female ruler, France and Spain respected and feared her. “[Elizabeth had] the body but of a weak and feeble woman, but [she] had the heart and stomach of a king, and of a King of England too.”(Elizabeth) She created an England that had more freedoms than any other European country, for example religious tolerance and more freedoms of speech. Although Ireland was under her control and she had created a Protestant nation in England, she let the Irish keep their Catholic faith. Even though she raised taxes, the economy thrived during her reign. This allowed people to start their own businesses and it created a higher income middle class. Also, because her foreign policies were mostly defensive, she would have more funds to spend on problems within England. One of her most important positions was her position on government.