Scientific Revolution In The 17th Century

The 17th century marks a major turning point in scientific development due to the political climate in Western Europe. Strong centralized European states began to compete on an international scale through acquiring wealth and power through their colonies in the Americas and Asia. They also began to fight one another in Europe, which resulted in warfare growing more complex and expensive. The demand for new military technology increased which also furthered the scientific research during this period. The political environment in England was fueled by the execution of Charles I after the English Civil War. Modern political ideology by Thomas Hobbes and John Locke would later aid the Americans during the Revolutionary War. The impact and importance …show more content…
Most of the work done in the late 16th and 17th century is still considered the foundation of major fields of modern science like biology, chemistry, and physics. From the Scientific Revolution brought on the Enlightenment, which introduced the idea of individualism and the power of the human mind. Both of these “revolutions” brought humans from medieval thinking to the modern era. One of the major causes of the Scientific Revolution was the increase in wealth throughout Europe. The development of colonies with the establishment of joint stock companies allowed for countries to access vast amounts of resources. England passed navigation acts that supported the Triangular Trade between the north American colonies, Jamaica, and west Africa. The English also made money off of intercepting Spanish treasure ships that sailed from Mexico ( Ackroyd 114). The powerful leaders of European countries funded new technology to compete with the other countries. The English Reformation also played a role in the scientific revolution. The Catholic Church no longer had a complete control over religion, which allowed for new thinkers like Martin Luther to emerge. During the reign of Charles I, Protestants began to