Animal Rights History: Animal Welfare-Animal Rights Quotes • Activists • Law • Historical Literature Library-Archive of Primary Sources
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Animal Rights-Humane History Timeline: Antiquity » Medieval » Renaissance » Enlightenment » Romantic » Victorian » Early 20thc.

"A wonderful resource for all of us interested in learning more about those who have spoken for the voiceless in the past."

Tom Regan, author of The Case for Animal Rights

Animal Rights History is recognized by the
Institute of Historical Research, University of London
in History in Focus, an online guide to Historical Resources

Animal Rights History Timeline

[Abstinence-Animal Food] [Animal Rights Quotes] [Animal Rights Law] [Anti-Vivisection Quotes] [Blood-Sports, Hunting Quotes] [Humanity-Justice-Kinship to Animals] [Intelligence-Reason-Emotion of Animals] [Animal Rights Poetry-Plays] [Animal Rights Religion: Sermons-Religious Quotes] [Use-Abuse, Slavery of Animals] [Vegetarians-Vegans; Cruelty of Slaughter]

Animal Rights History: Antiquity [BCE-c485]

Mythical-Divine Origin; Remote-Classical Antiquity [BCE-CE]
Common Era Classical Antiquity; Early Church Fathers [CE-c485]
[Antiquity: Ancient Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Ancient Animal Rights Law; Laws for Protection of Animals

Animal Rights History: Medieval-Dark Ages [c485-1450]

Middle Ages; Old-Middle English Literary Period
[Medieval Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Early Prohibitions Against Cruelty to Animals]

Animal Rights History: Renaissance [1450-1660]

English Renaissance and Reformation
[Renaissance Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Early Legislation Against Cruelty to Animals]

Animal Rights History: Age of Enlightenment [1660-1785]

Enlightenment: Restoration [1660-1689]
Augustan Literary Period-Age of Pope [1689-1745]
Age of Sensibility-Age of Johnson [1745-1785]
[Englightenment Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Enlightenment Periodicals-Articles Against Cruelty to Animals]
[Early Pleas for Legislation Against Cruelty to Animals

Animal Rights History: Romantic Age [1785-1837]

Romanticism; The Romantic Poets; Romantic Age
[Romantic Age Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Romantic Age Periodicals-Articles Against Cruelty to Animals
[Modern Legislative Beginnings of Law for Protection of Animals]

Animal Rights History: Victorian Age [1837-1901]

Victorian Age; Beginings of the Anti-Vivisection Movement
[Victorian: Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[Victorian Age Periodicals-Articles Against Cruelty to Animals]
[Anti-Vivisection Legislation; Laws for Protection of Animals]

Animal Rights History: 20th Century-Modernism [1901-1945]

Early-Mid 20th Century-Modernism
[20thc-Modernism Animal Rights Activists-Animal Welfare Advocates]
[20th C-Modernism Periodicals-Articles Against Cruelty to Animals]
[Continuing Animal Protection Legislation]

Animal Rights Quotes "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) "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).

Abstinence-Animal Food, Vegetarianism, Cruelty of Slaughter

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 remarks against cruelty of slaughter and eating of flesh document the history of vegetarianism.

Animal Welfare-Animal Rights Law; Animal Protection Laws

Laws, Acts, Bills, Legislation against Cruelty to Animals highlight Animal Rights Activists, Animal Welfare Advocates, and Legislators accomplishments for Animal Rights, Animal Welfare and Protection of Animals. Thomas Wentworth's Act of 1635 in Ireland, as well as Nathaniel Ward's contribution to the Massachusetts Body of Liberties of 1641 establishes English and American 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 who we must credit as the first to establish not only laws for the protection of animals, but the slaughter of animals as food or for sacrifice unlawful as well. ^¹

Use- of Animals; Slavery of Animals

Animals as Labourers, Domesticated Animals; Quotes Against the Cruelty of Fur, Feathers, Millinery; Protection of Birds; In Loving Memory of my friend and fellow activist Jenny Alvarado who coined the phrase "Make Compassion the Fashion."