Astro2110 – The Solar System

Isaac Newton is one of the most important scientists in history. Although he lived during the late 17th century, his work has impacted the fields of mathematics, physics, and astronomy of today’s world. His notable accomplishments include the establishment of modern Physics, and the discovery of both the gravitational force and the three Universal Laws of Motion. Moreover, his work provided the proof for heliocentricity, as first put forth by Nicholas Copernicus. This discovery alone “served as the basis for our understanding of how the universe functions and why it is the way it is” (Jessa, 2009).

Major Historical Events During Isaac Newton’s Lifetime:
On February 3rd, 1690, paper money was issued for the first time by the colony of Massachusetts.
Another important even during the lifetime of Isaac Newton was in June of 1654, when Louis XIV was crowned king of France in Rheims.

Another Historical Figure During Isaac Newton’s Lifetime:
A famous historical figure that lived during the time of Isaac Newton is John Locke. Locke was born in England on August 29th, 1632, and died on October 28th, 1704. Locke contributed greatly to the field of philosophy during the enlightenment period. Among his philosophies was his theory that everyone was born with natural rights. Of these rights were life, liberty, and property. It is not a coincidence that such philosophy made its way onto the constitution.

Reflection:
Throughout this assignment, I came to the realization that several of the most important scientific discoveries and developments occurred around the time of the aforementioned astronomical figures. It was interesting to learn of how impactful Isaac Newton’s work has been on the fields of mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Without his work, we could never have reached the level of knowledge that we are at today; so much of what we know in science is based upon Newton’s accomplishments. It was also interesting to note that although there was a plethora of accomplishments in the field science during those centuries, there were also several other important events around the world as well.

Sir Isaac Newton was born Christmas day, December 25, 1642 in the small hamlet of Woolsthorpe in the county of Lincolnshire in the English countryside. He lived a full 84 years, in which he revolutionized our fundamental understanding of the universe by discovering his Law’s of Motion, Law of Gravity, and laws of Optics; as well as inventing the Newtonian telescope; and independently inventing Calculus. He has gone down into the history books as one of the smartest individuals to ever live, as well as one of the most influential scientists to ever live. He later died peacefully in his sleep on March 20, 1727. For more specific details on his life, check out this article by Dr. Robert Hatch at the University of Florida.

Newton’s lifetime overlapped with a very interesting part of history. Here are two events which occurred during his life:

February 1692 (Newton, age 50): The Salem Witch Trials took place in Salem, Massachusetts.

This famous event in the young colony of Massachusetts was a widespread public hysteria of the presence of witches in the small, rural town of Salem. Public fear over evil spirits and sin brought forth public trials of those who were accused of witchcraft. These trials were unfair and unjust, often leading to the death of the accused after a dubiously justified trial.

1689 (Newton, age 47): John Locke publishes his Two Treatises of Government.

        This essay later heavily influenced the American revolutionists in the British Colonies, and thus was a major source of inspiration towards the founding of a new and independent United States of America. In it, Locke outlines his idea of the “State of Nature” whereby all men are born into the world free of tyranny, but eventually we give up some of these freeborn instilled rights in order to join a society where we all mutually benefit. But he warned of society and those in charge of it becoming too powerful and tyrannical.

As well as fascinating historical events, Newton’s lifetime overlapped with many famous and influential people, including other scientists, political figures, artists, and many others. One example is Johann Sebastian Bach.  Bach was a famous composer of the Baroque Period, especially writing with the piano and violin. His major works include Mass in B Minor, The Well-Tempered Clavier, and his Lullaby. 

As I think about Newton and the world he inhabited, I think it’s very useful to sometimes step back, away from your subject of interest, to investigate the world in which the subject lived it. Often times we isolate our subject, choosing to focus in on him/her entirely, but we forget that any person is product of their environment. Therefore it is important to understand that environment. That is why I found learning about the world around Isaac Newton to be almost as important as learning about the man himself. For example, Newton of course was this trailblazing explorer in the day’s most cutting edge fields, but yet we look across the ocean to the America’s and we see that the people of Salem, Massachusetts still believe in and live in a fantasy land where superstition and rumor overwhelms facts and reality. Newton was an exceptional human being for not only his time, but even by our standards today.