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Table of Contents
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount of St. Alban was an English philosopher and statesman. Bacon served as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon is most popular and credited for developing the scientific method and for being an influential figure through the scientific revolution.
See the fact file below for more information on the Francis Bacon or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Francis Bacon worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
GENERAL FACTS
- Francis Bacon’s primary profession, though he contributed significantly to science, was being a lawyer. However, he resigned amid charges of corruption.
- Francis Bacon was born on January 22, 1561, in London, England.
- He got his education from Trinity College, Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn.
EARLY LIFE
- Francis Bacon’s father was Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Seal.
- His father was formerly an officer of the English Crown entrusted with physical custody of the Great Seal of England.
- Francis Bacon’s mother was Lady Anne Cooke Bacon. Sir Anthony Cooke was her father.
- Sir Anthony Cooke was a humanist who tutored Edward VI, the king of England and Ireland from 1547 until his death in 1553.
- Lady Anne Cooke Bacon was also Lord Burghley’s sister-in-law.
- Lord Burghley, was an English statesman, the chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign.
EDUCATION
- Francis Bacon, at the age of 12, began attending Trinity College, Cambridge, in April of 1573.
- In December 1575, Francis Bacon finished his course of study at Trinity College.
- In 1576, Francis Bacon enrolled in a law program at the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn. It was the same school that his brother, Anthony Bacon, attended.
- Francis Bacon was bored, finding the education in Gray’s Inn old fashioned and stale. He even described his teachers as “men of sharp wits, shut up in their cells of a few authors, chiefly Aristotle, their dictator.”
- Francis Bacon swam against the current in terms of the ideas favored and taught in the schools. While the majority taught Aristotelianism—the school or tradition of philosophy from the Classical period of ancient Greece—Bacon was in favor of Renaissance humanism or the study of classical antiquity.
- Renaissance humanism aims to raise people who can speak and write with eloquence and clarity. People capable of engaging in public concern or issues, and people who pursue virtues through their actions.
- This aim is believed to be accomplished by studying the humanities, meaning a focus on rhetoric, grammar, history, and philosophy.
- After a year in Gray’s Inn, Francis Bacon left the school in order to work under Sir Amyas Paulet, British Ambassador to France.
- His father died unexpectedly, forcing him to return home to England after two years of working in Paris.
- Still a teen, Francis Bacon was financially broke after his father’s death. He tried to turn to Lord Burghley, his uncle, to ask for work as a government official, but his uncle turned him down.
AS A COUNSEL AND STATESMAN
- Luck struck Francis when he landed a job as a member for Cornwall in the House of Commons.
- He returned to Gray’s Inn to finish his education.
- He was appointed the position of outer barrister in 1582.
- His very first political memorandum, A Letter of Advice to Queen Elizabeth, was composed in 1584.
- The memorandum gave him a big leap forward in his political career.
- From 1584 to 1617, Francis Bacon held his job at the Parliament and became active in law, politics, and the royal court.
- In 1621, he became the Viscount St. Albans. In the same year, he was accused of accepting bribes and impeached by Parliament for corruption.
AS A PHILOSOPHER OF SCIENCE
- When Bacon retired, he focused on the philosophy of science.
- He struggled to make an outline of a scientific method, an empirical scientific method to be exact. This method requires tangible proof, or facts that could be seen or experienced.
- This approach focused on experimentation and interaction. It involved gathering of data, analyzing it, and performing experiments to observe in order to note natural truths in an organized way.
- Francis Bacon believed that when science is approached in this way, science could be a tool for the improvement of mankind.
DEATH
- Francis Bacon was performing a series of experiments with ice in March 1626, in order to test the effects of cold on the preservation and decay of meat.
- He stuffed a hen with snow near Highgate, England when the weather caused him to catch chills.
- Bacon stayed at Lord Arundel’s home in London, already ill.
- The guest room where Bacon resided was cold and musty.
- He soon developed bronchitis.
- Francis Bacon died on April 9, 1626 – a week after settling in the estate.
Francis Bacon Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Francis Bacon across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Francis Bacon worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount of St. Alban who was an English philosopher and statesman. Bacon served as Attorney General and as Lord Chancellor of England. Bacon is most popular and credited for developing the scientific method and for being an influential figure through the scientific revolution.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Francis Bacon Facts
- Bacon’s Biography
- Life in Years
- Philosopher vs. Statesman
- The Scientific Method
- Writing Dialogue
- Clashing Philosophies
- Famous Philosophers
- Bring Home The Bacon
- Applying The Method
- Dear Mr. Bacon
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