Voltaire was a great philosopher and had a position of critizing Christianity, and in doing so he might be also rejecting or critizing other philosophers od his time who defended thoughts similar to what the Bible teaches. In his novel <em>Candice</em> he <em>opposes the idea of being too optimistic</em>, which Leibniz promoted.
President Polk sent General Taylor to claim an area of disputed land for the United States.
The British government gradually extended the right to vote to most men.
More European countries began to copy the imperialist model developed by earlier empires
