Animal Rights Quotes · Free Online Library · Primary Source Historical Literature · Timeline of Animal Rights History
Explore the History of Animal Rights, Animal Welfare and the Humane Movement Against Cruelty to Animals

Animal Rights History

These pages are part of an ongoing effort to provide free online access to historical literature on animal rights, animal welfare and the humane movement against animal cruelty to animals.

Timeline of Quotes; Links to Historical Literature

Antiquity, Ancient Animal Rights Law & The Middle Ages
The Renaissance & Early Anti-Cruelty Legislation
Age of Enlightenment
Romantic-Utilitarian Age, Modern Legislative Beginnings
Victorian Age, Anti-Vivisection & the Early 20th Century

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

Free Online Library - Complete Texts · Accessible Online
Links to primary source historical literature document the authenticity of quotations while providing more in-depth insight into the ideologies of the humane movement against cruelty to animals and additional historical perspective on the continuing struggle for animal rights, animal welfare and the protection of animals.

Subject Index

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 as well as Historical Literature Remarking on the Legislative History of the Humane Movement highlight advocates, activists and authors accomplishments for animal rights, animal welfare and the 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 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.

ARQ-Animal Rights Quotes—References to "Rights" of Animals in Historical Literature.

"Whereby [men] pretend a right to invade and violate [animals'] natural rights" (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" (Richmond, 1801) and "acknowledg[ing] that there are the RIGHTS of a BEAST, as well as the RIGHTS of a MAN" (Daggett, 1791) helped form "the foundation of the Rights of Animals" (Young, 1798).

Anti-VIVisection Quotes; Quotes from Activists Against Vivisection, Experiments on Animals, Animal Experimentation, Animal Tests, Testing & Research on Animals. (See Victorian Age, Anti-Vivisection and the Early 20th Century Timeline)

BSH-Blood Sports-Hunting-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 regarding the Cruelty of Children; Teaching Children Kindness to Animals (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)

INTelligence, Reason, Emotion of Animals, our Fellow Beings; Interconnectedness of Life; Fellowship, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, Mutual Bond of all Sentient Animals. (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)

Quotes on Kinship with our Fellow-Beings, Animals as Brothers and Sisters, Interconnectedness ofall Sentient Life

POEtry-Plays; Poets-Playwrights Humane Sentiments against Cruelty to Animals; Poets & Playwrights Contributions to Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, Animal Protection & the Humane Movement Against Animal Cruelty.

RELigion, Religious Quotes & Sermons against Animal Cruelty; Quotes against the Cruelty of Sacrifice, Animal Souls, Immortality & Future Life of Animals. (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)

USE-Abuse of Animals—Clothing, Food, Labor, Labour; Domesticated Animals, Horses; Slavery, Analogies to; Quotes Against the Cruelty of Animals as Laborers Tail-Docking, Bearing-Reins, Racing, Slaughter; Make Compassion the Fashion—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" (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)

Quotes on Slavery of Animals, Analogies to Slavery, Servitude, Animals as Slaves

VEGetarianism Quotes—Quotes from Vegetarians, Pythagoreans and Pythagoras on Pythagorean, Natural and Humane Diet; Remarks Against Cruelty of Slaughter, Flesh-Eating & Animals as Food. (Beginning with the Antiquity Timeline)

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 Sentiments Against the Eating of Flesh document the history of vegetarianism.