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Course: World History Project - 1750 to the Present > Unit 2

Lesson 2: Ingredients for Revolution | 2.1
Arts and humanities
World History Project - 1750 to the Present
Liberal and National Revolutions
Ingredients for Revolution | 2.1
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READ: Edmund Burke (Graphic Biography)

Google Classroom
The “father of modern conservatism” was a British political figure and philosopher who was an important leader of the liberal transformation of the eighteenth century.
The Graphic Biography below uses “Three Close Reads”. If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: skimming for gist

This will be your quickest read. It should help you get the general idea of what the graphic biography will be about. Pay attention to the title, headings, images, and layout. Ask yourself: what is this graphic biography going to be about?

Second read: understanding content

For this reading, you should be looking for unfamiliar vocabulary words, the major claim and key supporting details, and analysis and evidence. You should also spend some time looking at the images and the way in which the page is designed.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. When and where was Edmund Burke born? Who ruled the place where he was born?
  2. What, according to the author, was the major political contest in Britain during this period? What did each side believe?
  3. In what ways was Burke a liberal? In what ways was he a conservative?
  4. What were the events that made Burke fear too rapid change and too much democracy?
  5. How does the artist use art and design to demonstrate Burke’s position as both a liberal and a conservative?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

In this read, you should use the graphic biography as evidence to support, extend, or challenge claims made in the course.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. We generally speak of political revolutions in this period as bringing more liberties and being a good thing. Does Burke’s biography challenge that assumption? How?
  2. How could the rise of liberalism in this period also lead to the rise of political conservatism? Does this biography provide any clues to help you to answer this question?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to read! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished reading.

Edmund Burke (Graphic Biography)

Writer: Trevor Getz
Artist: Liz Clarke
The “father of modern conservatism” was a British political figure and philosopher who was an important leader of the liberal transformation of the eighteenth century.
Download the Graphic Biography PDF here or click on the image above.

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