His head was cut off with a guillotine knife. The only thing they forgot to accuse him of was a deal with the Devil and flights to the coven of witches and sorcerers.
A person is inclined to forget some events of his life. Only career ups, or dramatic falls, are remembered. But the documents retain all the details and if they fall into the hands of ill-wishers in turbulent times, an insignificant episode of the biography can play a fateful role in fate.
Childhood
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier was born in August 1743 in Paris. His father was rich and respected. He was one of the 400 Paris Parliament attorneys who were trusted to handle the most important cases. He wanted to see his heir as a lawyer.
View of the market and the Fountain of the Innocent, Paris. Artist John-James Chalon
Studying for the boy began at home. Parents invited the best professors to mentors to their child. Daddy asked his son to pay more attention to jurisprudence, but he was interested in the natural sciences: botany, astronomy, chemistry, geology. Antoine was sent to Mazarin College, where he could get an education to enter the University of Paris. As soon as the time came to determine the profession, Lavoisier Sr. made a decision, without consulting anyone, - the Faculty of Law.
Choice of profession
Our hero was an exemplary son. He did not argue with his parent. The student managed to master the program in the chosen direction for him and do what interests him. He attended lectures by famous scientists of his time: botanist Bernard de Giussier, geologist Jean-Etienne Gettard, chemist and pharmacist Guillaume-Francois Ruel.
Antoine Lavoisier
In 1764, Lavoisier received a diploma confirming his qualifications in the field of law. The following year, he presented the Paris Academy of Sciences work on improving night lighting in the city, which was awarded a gold medal. The father of a talented young man could no longer dictate his will to him. He let his son go along with university tutors on research expeditions in search of useful minerals.
Confession
A young scientist was noticed. At the age of 25, Antoine Lavoisier became a member of the Academy of Sciences in Chemistry. In the same 1768, he was given a place in the General Merit. It was a private organization to which the king entrusted the collection of taxes. Our hero joined the ranks of farmers, but did not deal with financial matters. He was more interested in the daughter of one of his colleagues - Maria-Anna-Pierretta Polz. The girl was only 13 years old, but her parents were supporters of early marriages. A new family appeared in 1771.
Self portrait. Artist Marie-Anna-Pierretta Polz
The new Minister of France Ann = Robert-Jacques Turgot began to implement a program to optimize the economy of the country and drew attention to Antoine Lavoisier. In 1775, he invited him to a group of managers managing the powder business. A scientist who was well acquainted with the minerals of the Fatherland was able to establish the production of an important product for the army from local raw materials.
Achievements
The circle of interests of our hero was extensive. In addition to inventing a new method for the purification of nitrate, which was the basis of gunpowder, he refuted the theory of the existence of phlogiston - a substance due to which combustion is possible. Studying the effect of flame on various materials in different environments, Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier came to the conclusion that oxygen must certainly be involved in the process. The personal life of the scientist also contributed to the work - his wife became interested in chemistry and became his assistant.
Portrait of Laurent Lavoisier and his wife Maria (1788). Artist Jacques-Louis David
For contemporaries, Lavoisier was primarily a practitioner. He made a contribution to the development of the French manufactory, proposing to bleach fabrics with chlorine. He also owns a number of initiatives to introduce new principles of land cultivation into agriculture. The scientist did not stop only on the technical side of the matter, he talked about the need for social protection of workers.
Revolution
Antoine Lavoisier adhered to advanced views, he did not like that the government perceived many of his initiatives as literary work and was in no hurry to put them into practice. Our hero was also familiar with unfair taxation procedures. Being a wealthy man and naturally kind, he, as a member of the General Repurchase, did not require the poor to pay the full amount of debt. The overthrow of the monarchy was perceived by him positively.
Portrait of Antoine Lavoisier
The new government invited the great Frenchman to work in the treasury. Lavoisier brought order there, while not receiving any material compensation for his work. When the idea of unifying measures of weight and length arose, the leaders of the revolution again turned to the scientist. In 1791, the task was completed, and the tireless seeker entered the commission, which received draft technical innovations from citizens.
