Manifesto Destiny Trivia Quiz

Answer: Code of Hammurabi

Hammurabi, the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty, reigned from 1792 till his death in 1750BC. His codes of law are amongst the earliest ever recorded. The code specified the idea of presumption of innocence, and "an eye for an eye", although the punishment for many crimes was death or disfigurement. One nearly complete version of the code was inscribed on a large stone (diorite) stele, 2.25m (7.4ft) tall.

This stele is in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The code was also reproduced on clay tablets and many of these have been found.

Answer: Magna Carta

The original version of the Magna Carta was created in 1215 as a mechanism for rebelling, feudal barons to temper the power of the deeply unpopular King John. Civil war was not really an option as there were no viable alternatives to take the throne. The document was modified extensively in the thirteenth century and many of the clauses were embedded in English law for centuries.

The highly regarded twentieth century British judge, Lord Denning, proclaimed the Magna Carta as "the greatest constitutional document of all times - the foundation of the freedom of the individual against the arbitrary authority of the despot".

Answer: Martin Luther

Dr Martin Luther was both a monk and Professor of Theology in Wittenberg. He became very upset with what he saw as blatant extraction of money from his countrymen by the Catholic Church for 'Indulgences' (remission of sins) to absolve sins, rather than gaining salvation through the grace of God.

He also believed that the Bible was the only source of divine knowledge and refused to accept papal infallibility. His writings led to his excommunication by Pope Leo X in 1520. His ideas and writings are seen as the start of the Protestant Reformation.

He does remain a controversial figure especially due to his misogynistic views and rabid antisemitism expressed late in his life.

Answer: The Mayflower Compact

The Mayflower Compact was the first Charter for Self Government for people settling in America. As most of the settlers were protestants fleeing persecution in England under James I, there was a very strong religious context to the statements. Wisely, even before they landed in Massachusetts, the settlers realized they would need an agreement on how they would interact with each other and establish their community in these new surroundings. Life was certainly difficult as only half of these settlers survived the first winter.

Answer: Isaac Newton

Prior to Einstein's theories on relativity, Newton's 'Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica' (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), usually simplified to 'Principia', was the seminal text on gravity and the behavior of heavenly objects. For most terrestrial applications, Newton's work on classical mechanics still holds true.

The 'Principia' includes his famous three laws of motion and beautifully ties together experimental results and theory. Newton was actively engaged in debate with many of the other elite scientists of his time including Hooke, with whom there was argument about who first described gravitational effects and the inverse-square law, and notoriously with Leibniz.

The debate about who first developed calculus continues to this day. Both men certainly made simultaneous and independent advances.

In addition to his scientific work, Newton was also fascinated by the occult and alchemy, as well as being Master of the Royal Mint. He died in 1727.

Answer: Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the original draft of the declaration, later stated that many of the words and ideas came from his own preamble to the Constitution of Virginia and George Mason's draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Somewhat ironically, these documents in turn were based on earlier British writings.

The mood for independence from Britain was driven by the war, and pamphlets and writings by men including Thomas Paine and John Adams. The handwritten Declaration was signed by the 56 delegates to Congress and was dated July 4 although there has been much subsequent conjecture about the date by which all signatures were obtained.

Answer: Friedrich Engels

After being commissioned by the fledgling Communist League (established in 1847), Marx and Engels wrote this short manuscript which analysed the battle of the classes and the problems with capitalism. It outlined how they saw capitalism being replaced by socialism and then eventually by communism. Engels is frequently credited with writing much of the first draft, although Engels stated that almost all the ideas belonged to Marx.

The booklet went through a number of editions and was translated into many languages over the subsequent forty years.

The rise of communism in Czarist Russia during the last two decades of the nineteenth century was partially driven by the philosophy espoused in the manifesto in combination with the extant harsh conditions for the working class.

Answer: The Geneva Conventions

The four treaties and three protocols that make up the Geneva Conventions were crafted over nearly a century to create a framework for the humane treatment of non-combatants in a theater of war. Nearly all countries ratified the treaties in 1949 (albeit some with reservations). Back in 1862 and based on his experiences of war, the Swiss businessman and social activist, Henry Dunant proposed the establishment of a relief agency (which became the Red Cross) and a governmental treaty enabling this agency to provide aid in areas of war.

This treaty became the first part of the Geneva Conventions. Dunant received the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901.

Answer: The Balfour Declaration

The Balfour Declaration became part of the peace treaty (Treaty of Sèvres) between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies (Triple Entente) at the conclusion of World War I. These developments prompted a flurry of activity from other countries and groups with interests in the Middle East region. British civil administration over Palestine operated from 1920 to 1948 and paved the way for the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Answer: Charter of the United Nations

The Charter of the United Nations came into force after it was ratified on the 24 October 1945 by the five permanent members of the newly created Security Council: China, USSR, France, USA and the United Kingdom, and the majority of the other signatories. All members are legally bound by its Articles and this Charter takes legal precedence over all other treaties.

There are 19 Chapters which not only detail the operation of the UN but set out a range of Articles associated with international relations. Almost all countries have ratified the Charter, although the Vatican City State remains an observer rather than a full signatory.