Sir Thomas More

1478–1535

Nationality: English

Historical Period: The Renaissance and the Reformation

Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English lawyer, privy councillor, and Speaker of the House of Parliament before he ran afoul of the Anglican Church for not compromising his Catholic beliefs by refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as the sole head of the church. He was beheaded for this refusal. He is famous for his political work Utopia (1516) in which there was no private property, widespread use of slaves, and an internal passport for travel was required.

• Author: Ideal Empires and Republics