Enlightenment
Before venturing out on the Journey of a Lifetime, it might be important to know something about your destination. We've got you covered.
Sir Isaac Newton: The Brilliant Heretic
Newton's decoded private writings show that the famous mathematician was actually a different man, and scientist, than we remember from school. Now we know that Newton studied alchemy and applied creative problem solving to discover the laws of gravity.
Salem Witch Trials: How they began, how they impacted, how they’re never forgotten
In Puritan Salem, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams, two young girls—perhaps on a lark—unleashed a social pandemic that resulted in public accusations of witchcraft in their village. More than 160 townspeople were accused of practicing the “evil arts” that resulted in the famous Salem Witch Trials. To this day, people still wonder what really went down.
From Convent to Court: Painting at the Revolution
When French portrait artist Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun painted Marie-Antoinette in 1778, and later became official royal portraitist and close friend of the queen, she could hardly have known that her neck was on the line. Literally.
The Center of Cultural Innovation: Parisian Salons
You would not get your hair done at these salons—during the Enlightenment in France, salons were a place where civilians of all social classes could gather and discuss ideas. They served as ground zero for the ideas present in the Declaration of Independence and—eventually—the French Revolution!
Hitting the Lodestar: Judith Leyster
Among the men celebrated as Dutch Master painters in the Age of Rembrandt, one accomplished woman artist cultivated a reputation for innovation, and a "brand" that was uniquely hers.
John Locke-Unlocked: A Modern Idea of Private Property
How does John Locke’s contribution towards the study of money and private property help us know why we value certain items?