Thomas Carlyle was a significant social thinker in Victorian-era England. The Scottish author wrote in many different forms and styles, including satirical journalism, essay, history and fiction. He concerned himself primarily with the larger themes of order and anarchy, the social condition of Victorian England, his feelings against democracy, and the hero and leader.

Thomas Carlyle was born in the small farming village of Ecclefechan, Scotland, in 1795, to stone-mason James and Margaret Aitken Carlyle. He attended Edinburgh University from 1809 to 1814 but did not complete his degree. Originally studying science and mathematics, he rejected careers in teaching, law, the Church, and translation. Carlyle first earned a living as a tutor and schoolmaster but began his writing career in 1819. At that time, he moved to Edinburgh and began writing articles on science and literature for magazines and encyclopedias. He married Jane Carlyle in 1826. Like her husband, Jane became a member...