<p>The prompt followed along the lines of whether persistence is the key factor to success and talent, genius, and education are secondary factors.</p>
<p>Response:</p>
<p>Success is credited to talent, education, and intellect rather than persistence. While persistence can carry a person so far, talent, education, and intellect are the factors that achieve success. In the cases of the Enlightenment philosophers who had favorable factors to ensure success and blacks were denied opportunities to be prosperous, persistence has little effect on successful achievements.
In the 18th century in Europe, there was a blooming of scientific and rational thought. Many of these prominent intellects whose work formed the political ideals in our Constitution today were born into a wealthy family. Education had blessed them with the opportunity to reflect on past observations and conclude their own. For example, Copernicus disproved Ptolemy's idea of a geocentric theory where the Earth revolved the other planets, but a mere peasant would not have the resources to make such an outstanding astronomical assertion. Enlightenment philosophers were successful in spreading their ideas and throwing the old style of absolute monarchy out and replacing it with a more constitutional government. These philosophers fell into the category of the educated elite who had prosperous family backgrounds that enabled them to pursue a philosophical path. Poorer and less well off people or even women could not attain such highly regarded achievements because their opportunities were restricted.</p>
<p>The Enlightenment philosophers were endowed with privileges, resources, and wealth that allowed them to be successful. In contrast, during the Antebellum South, blacks had few rights and could not be successful. Forced into slavery, blacks had little to no prospects of climbing up the social ladder. Even though the talented slaves who worked in the cities as specialized laborers were less oppressed and relatively successful to the field hands, their wealth was paltry compared to the White Americans. Many African Americans were illiterate because the whits feared of a black threat overthrowing the system of labor they put so much reliance on. As a result, few blacks could aspire to become prominent individuals. Though the African American William Lloyd Garrison strongly refueled the Abolitionist movement, he was never truly successful in accomplishing his goals because it took extreme white support to abolish slavery. Without talent, education, and intellect, the prospect of becoming accomplished seems almost impossible.</p>
<p>Regarding the backgrounds of those who are successful, similarities include an education, talent, and intellect.</p>