1748 -  Baron de Montesquieu

     Baron de Montesquieu was born in Bordeaux, France in 1689.  He was born with the name Charles Louis de Secondat.  Althouth he was born into a very wealthy family, he lived a poor childhood.  Eventually, he went to college and became a lawyer.  In 1713, he was hit with the devastating news that his father had died.  He was then placed under the care of his uncle.  Then, in 1716, his uncle died and he inherited his fortune and the title of Baron de Montesquieu.  In addition, he gained the place of president of the Bordeaux Parliament.  It was after the death of uncle when he truly was acknowledged for his work.

Baron de Montesquieu

     Baron de Montesquieu became famous in 1721 with his book, Persian Letters.  This book described how fictional Persian travelers viewed the French Parliament.  Back then, this book was very popular.  The Baron was most famous for this work, The Spirit of Laws, published in 1748.  He, like many others, was worried about political liberty.  In this book, Baron de Montesquieu gave his opinion on the organization of government.  His theory was called, "The Separation of Powers."  This theory suggested the idea of dividing power among three sections or branches in the government.  The legislative branch makes the laws, the executive branch enforces the laws and the judicial branch interprets the laws.  Today, this concept is used worldwide and is written into the U.S. Constitution.

     One of the reasons why Baron de Montesquieu is so important is because he had an enormous impact on governments all over the world.  If he didn't exist, we might not have the same government that we have today.  He saw a problem and solved it for his benefit and other people's benefit.  Because he had an idea, we now have a fair government.  Someone who is truly important makes a lasting impact on the world and deserves a place in a history book.

Sources:

Author Unknown.  Baron de Montesquieu.  http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/montesquieu/montesquieu-bio.html.  2007.

Author Unknown.  ChksBalnces.png. http://www.lewrockwell.com/chu/ChksBalnces.png.  2007.

Author Unknown.  montesquieu.jpg.  http://www.republikanisme.nl/montesquieu.jpg.  2007.

Bower, Bert, and Jim Lobdell.  History Alive!  The Medieval World and Beyond.  Palo Alto, CA, Teachers' Curriculem Institute.  2005.