Biographies

This biography profiles Queen Nzinga Mbande, the leader of Angola during the early 17th century. Tracing her rise to the throne, the biography focuses on Nzinga's dealings with Portuguese officials, who had colonized the region and were securing African...

This biography of Constantine the Great focuses on his early life and education, his service in the Roman army, and his eventual rise to Roman emperor. Additionally, the biography traces Constantine's gradual conversion to Christianity. The biography...

This biography of Augustus describes his origins, including his introduction to public life by Julius Caesar. The biography traces Augustus' rise to power and the beginning of the Pax Romana. The biography includes a series of questions based on the...

This first of a two-part biography of Genghis Khan describes the myth surrounding his birth, specifically that he was destined to be a great ruler. The biography goes on to describe Khan's early life of poverty and his eventual rise to power within the...

This second of a two-part biography on the life Genghis Khan describes his consolidation of power and military conquests throughout northern Asia and southeastern Europe. Additionally, the biography describes Khan's attitude towards religious tolerance...

This biography of Zheng He focuses on his origins and his contributions to Chinese naval exploration during the 14th century. The biography includes a series of questions based on the reading. In using this in my own class room, students are encouraged...

This biography on John Locke focuses on his Two Treatises of Government. Believing that man was born with a "blank slate" (tabula rasa) and was essentially good by nature, Locke argued that the only true governments were those who ruled with the consent...

This resource contains five biographies on Enlightenment thinkers and their ideas about the nature of government. The collection includes Niccolò Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. The...

This biography on Charles de Montesquieu focuses on his book Spirit of the Laws and his influence on American government. Montesquieu claimed that government should be divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. These branches...