Illustration of the Great Plague in London (1665) During the summer of 1665, London experienced the last outbreak of the bubonic plague which carried away about 100,000 lives, i.e. one fifth of the entire city population. Extracts from the diary of Samuel Pepys, a naval administrator, provide us with a valuable testimony of the eyewitness […]
Since the Seven Years’ war (1754-1763), American colonies experienced gradual expansion. The territory of modern Quebec annexed after the war became after the end of the revolutionary wars the refuge of all British loyalists. After the revolution, 13 states formed a federation to ensure self-defense and successful development. In 1787, the United States Constitution was […]
The French Revolution of 1789 obviously affected U.S. politics, as pro- and anti- Revolutionary factions sought to influence American domestic and foreign policy. When the first rumors of political change in France reached American shores in 1789, the U.S. public was largely enthusiastic. Americans hoped that the existing Franco-American alliance would be solidified by democratic […]
The notion of liberty was directly related with the rights of Englishmen gained as a result of political struggle of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution. In 18th century Britain, the liberty meant that no man not even the king was above the law. The mechanism preventing political tyranny was based on representation […]
Religion shaped the American society in many ways. Most of the people who came to America were in search of religious freedom. Their hope was to escape the religious persecution they were facing in their countries and they did not want to establish a church like the Church of England. The colonists wanted a chance […]
In March 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act which introduced the first direct tax on the American colonies. Starting from November 1, 1765 every legal document had to be written on specially stamped paper, showing proof of payment. Deeds, wills, marriage licenses — contracts of any sort — were not recognized as legal […]
Obviously, the most threatening to the conservatives were political and cultural changes capable to shake the very foundations of American society. First of all should be named newly acquired political rights of non white Americans, this important step towards complete elimination of racism and segregation considerably reduced the possibility of intensive exploitation and unfair treatment […]
The youth of 1960s were baby boomers – a large generation born immediately after WW II which brought to the US an unprecedented prosperity. This affluence was a well merited reward of their parents’ hard work, sacrifices and heroic efforts resulting in Allies’ victory. Loans and privileges granted to millions of war veterans by the […]
The first white settlers on American soil were Puritans who came with the mission of building a New Jerusalem. The new nation inherited this missionary spirit and guided by it became the mightiest world superpower. In America religion combined with democracy became an important factor of successful development. After the Constitution separated the church from […]
Writing about Aristotle criticizing Epicurus we should bear in mind that the situation is purely imaginary because Aristotle died when Epicurus was only 19 (in 322 BC) and had no time to create any philosophical theory. It is highly probable that Epicurus was aware of Aristotle’s teaching and included some elements of it in his […]