machiavelli
... Born into, and living in this time of political crisis, was Niccolo Machiavelli. Scholars often compare his significance with preceding political writers such as Plato and Aristotle, and ask the question, “How did the works of Machiavelli influence American society today? While some people remember him as being distrusted by the new republic and the man who was jailed and taken out of office, Machiavelli gave politics a new meaning through his works as a politician, political theorist, and political critic. Although Machiavelli is mostly remembered for his political books and plays, he also had a lengthy career as a politician. ... One author points out, “Machiavelli acquired much knowledge of practical politics, and was so efficient and industrious that his name, even to present time, has been synonymous with that of the ‘Florentine Secretary (581). ... Machiavelli eventually went on to form an army of soldiers in 1507 and in 1509, led a successful attack on Pisa. ... Machiavelli was jailed for conspiracy against the new government and was taken out of office.