Animal Rights Quotes-Timeline of Animal Rights History-Library of Primary Source Historical Literature
Explore the History of Animal Rights, Animal Wefare, Animal Protection and Humanity Against Cruelty to Animals

Animal Rights History

Quotes briefly introduce animal rights activists, animal welfare advocates and authors; the history of animal rights, animal welfare and animal protection; and the literature of the humane movement against cruelty to animals.

Links to Primary Source Historical Literature document the authenticity of quotations while providing more in-depth insight into the ideologies of the humanity against cruelty to animals and additional historical perspective on the continuing struggle for animal rights, animal welfare and protection of animals.

Animal Rights History is an ongoing effort to provide free online access to historical literature on animal rights, animal welfare, and humanity against cruelty to animals. As a free online library, literary research resource, animal rights timeline and historical literature archive, AnimalRightsHistory.Org promotes and facilitates: access to information, education, literary research and the preservation of historical literature on animal rights, animal welfare, and the protection of animals.



Animal Rights Law

Ancient Laws for the Protection of Animals, Early Anti-Cruelty Legislation & the Legislative Beginnings of the Humane Movement Against Animal Cruelty


Animal Rights Quotes

References to the Rights of Animals in Historical Literature


Poets-Playwrights Humane Sentiments against Animal Cruelty; Animal Rights, Animal Welfare and the Protection of Animals in Poetry and Plays

Anna BarbouldJohn BidlakeWilliam BlakeLuke BookerRobert BurnsLord ByronSamuel Taylor ColeridgeJoseph CottleWilliam CowperGeorge CrabbeWilliam Hamilton DrummondEmpedoclesHesiodLucretiusOvidAlexander PopeSamuel Jackson PrattShakespearePercy Bysshe ShelleyWilliam ShenstonePhilip SidneyJames ThomsonVirgilJohn WolcotWilliam Wordsworth


Animal Rights Activists, Animal Welfare Advocates and Authors
Timeline of Quotes
; Links to Historical Literature


Antiquity, Ancient Animal Rights Law & The Middle Ages

Antiquity, Ancient Animal Rights Law & The Middle AgesMythical & Divine Origin: ManuTriptolemusBefore the Common Era (BC): Cave PaintingsAncient ReligionsJainism, Historic India—The doctrines of Aims & Vegetarianism evolve. • HasidDrano Siddhartha, Sakyamuni, BuddhaMahaviraPythagorasHerodotus EmpedoclesXenocratesPolemonKing AsokaAncient Animal Rights LawCiceroLucretiusQuintus SextiusVirgilCommon Era (AD): OvidSotionSenecaPliny the Elder • PlutarchClement of AlexandriaSextus EmpiricusTertullianPlotinusPorphyrySt. ChrysostomOld/Middle English Period [449-1485]: Muhammad • St. Francis Assisi


Renaissance & Early Anti-Cruelty Legislation [ca 1485-1660]

John CalvinPierre CharronLeonardo Da VinciJohn of the CrossMichel de MontaigneHenry MoreThomas MoreFrancis QuarlesWilliam ShakespearePhilip SidneyPhilip StubbesNathaniel WardThomas Wentworth


Age of Enlightenment [ca 1660-1780]

Joseph AddisonMr. BakerWilliam BlackstoneRev. Henry BrindleyFather BougeantChristopher BrownPatrick BrydoneJames BurghJoseph ButlerClemency to BrutesJohn EvelynJames FosterMatthew HaleDavid HartleyJohn HawkesworthJames HerveyJohn HildropSir Richard HillWilliam HogarthLouis LemeryJohn LockeBernard MandevilleSamuel PepysThomas PercivalAlexander PopeHumphrey PrimattSir William Pultney Jean-Jacques Rousseau Richard SheridanWilliam ShenstoneJames ThomsonJohn TillotsonThomas TryonVoltaireNathaniel WanleyJohn WesleyWilliam WhitsonWilliam WilberforceSir John WrotteslyArticles-Extracts-Letters-Reveiws [Enlightenment]


Romantic Age, Modern Legislative Beginnings [ca 1780-1830]

Richard AmnerMr. BakerAnna BarbauldEdward BarrySamuel Argent BardsleyRalph BeilbyJeremey BenthamThomas BewickJohn BidlakeWilliam BlakeLuke BookerRobert BurnsRev. William BingleyRev. Henry BrindleyRev. William BingleyLord ByronClergyman of EnglandSamuel Taylor ColeridgeJoseph CottleCountry Village RectorWilliam CowperGeorge CrabbeHerman DaggettCharles DaubenyThomas DayLord EllenboroughLord ErskineWilliam Gilpin William GodwinSir Richard HillRowland HillRev. C. HoyleWilhelm von HumboldtMr. JekyllSoame JenynsElizabeth KentCharles LambJohn LawrenceMrs. MambyRichard MartinThomas Moore Mr. MorrisMr. NewboltJohn OswaldSydney OwensonLaetitia PilkingtonRene Martin PilletPeter PindarJames PlumptreSamuel Jackson PrattSir William PultneyAnne RadcliffeLegh RichmondSir Samuel RomillyBenjamin RushPercy ShelleyRichard SheridanLouis SimondMr. William SmithMr. StephenMr. StevenPercival Stockdale Thomas TaylorWilliam TrinderPriscilla WakefieldSir Robert WilliamsJohn WolcotMary WollstonecraftWilliam WordsworthSir John WrotteslyThomas YoungArticles-Extracts-Letters-Reveiws [Romantic Age]


Victorian Age, Anti-Vivisection & Early 20th Century [ca 1830-1900's]

Arthur BealeLewis CarrollJohn ClarkeFrances Power CobbeStephen ColeridgeWilliam DayJames DrummondJames L. DrummondWilliam Hamilton DrummondJohn Todd FerrierThomas ForsterJohn FoxEdward A. FreemanPere GirardJohn HillM. T. IngramWilliam JerdanAlbert LeffingwellWilfrid LescherJames MacaulayEdward NicholsonHenry OxenhamJohn Budd PitkinHenry SaltCarl SpencerLawson TaitMark TwainCharles VaughanHoward WilliamsWilliam YouattArticles-Extracts-Letters-Reveiws [Victorian Age]


Periodicals - Articles, Extracts, Letters, Reviews

Animals Friend Magazine Annual RegisterAnnual ReviewBelfast Monthly MagazineAnti-Jacobin ReviewBible ChristianBritish CriticChristian PioneerChristian ReformerCritical ReviewEdinburgh MagazineEuropean MagazineEvangelical MagazineGentleman's Magazine Ladies RepositoryLiterary PanoramaLondon MagazineMonthly MagazineMonthly MirrorMonthly ReviewNew Christian's MagazineOrthodox Churchman's MagazineScots MagazineSpectator MagazineUnited States Literary GazetteUniversal MagazineUniversalist and Ladies Repository


Animal Rights Law

Ancient Laws for the Protection of Animals, Early Anti-Cruelty Legislation & the Modern Legislative Beginnings of the Humane Movement Against Animal Cruelty

Thomas Wentworth's Act of 1635 in Ireland, as well as Nathaniel Ward's contribution to the Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641 establishes American and English law against cruelty to animals almost 200 years prior to the passage of Richard Martin's Act of 1822, a Bill to Prevent the Cruel and Improper Treatment of Cattle. Since these contributions were largely unknown until the late 20th century, the modern era of anti-cruelty legislation is usually traced back to the precedence set by "Martin's Act" and the amendments and legislative enactments against cruelty to animals that followed. However, it is King Ashoka, in the 3rd century BCE that we must honor as being the first to decree law not only for the protection of animals, creating the first list of "protected" species but, progressive even by today's standards, proclaiming the slaughter of animals as food or for sacrifice unlawful.


Animal Rights Quotes

References to the Rights of Animals in Historical Literature

"Whereby [men] pretend a right to invade and violate [animals'] natural rights" (Thomas Tryon, 1684), and "with no kind advocate to plead in behalf of their invaded rights" (Clergyman, 1824), References to the Rights of Animals in Historical Literature Against Cruelty to Animals "pleading the rights of the animal creation" (Legh Richmond, 1801) and "acknowledg[ing] that there are the RIGHTS of a BEAST, as well as the RIGHTS of a MAN" (Herman Daggett, 1791) helped form "the foundation of the Rights of Animals" (Thomas Young, 1798).


Anti-Vivisection Quotes

Quotes from Activists Against Vivisection, Experiments on Animals, Animal Experimentation, Animal Tests, Testing & Research on Animals.

Plotinus in the 3rd century, refused medical treatments derived from animals. And although individuals such as William Shakespeare in 1609, Joseph Addison in 1711 Voltaire in 1764, Lord Byron in 1823 had already spoken out against the cruelties. The Victorian Age encompasses the beginnings of the anti-vivisection movement.


Blood-Sports, Hunting Quotes

Quotes against the Cruelty of Bear-Baiting, Bull-Baiting, Bullfighting, Cockfighting, Cock Throwing, Throwing at Cocks; Field Sports, Fishing, Hare Coursing, Shooting


Humanity-Justice; Humane Education

Quotes on Humanity, Justice and Kindness to Animals; Quotes on Cruelty of Children; Teaching Children Kindness to Animals; Humane Education

(Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)


Intelligence, Reason, Emotion of Animals

Quotes on Kinship with our Fellow Beings; Interconnectedness of Life; Fellowship, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Animals as our Brothers and Sisters.

(Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline).


Religion, Religious Quotes & Sermons on Humanity to Animals

Quotes against Sacrifice, Quotes on Souls; Immortality-Future Life of Brutes

(Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)


Use-Abuse of Animals; Slavery of Animals

Quotes against Cruelty to Animals as Laborers, Domesticated Animals,
Slavery of Animals, Analogies to Slavery, Servitude, Animals as Slaves
Horses: Tail-Docking, Bearing-Reins, Racing; Quotes Against the Cruelty of Fur, Feathers, Millinery; Protection of Birds (Beginning with Antiquity Timeline)

In Loving Memory of my friend and fellow activist Jenny Alvarado who coined the phrase "Make Compassion the Fashion."


Vegetarianism

Pre-socratic philosopher Pythagoras advocated a natural diet; entire essays against flesh-eating can be found as far back as the first century; and later authors continued to advocate the Pythagorean diet of fruits and vegetables. Pleas from Vegetarians, Remarks of Individuals whose Sentiments Suggest they Might be Vegetarians—although History Offers No Proof—and Non-Vegetarians Remarks Against the Cruelty of Slaughter and the Eating of Flesh document the history of vegetarianism (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline).


Pythagoras

William Hogarth John Wesley Voltaire Alexander Pope Lord Coleridge Mary Wollstonecraft Jeremy Bentham