History of Animal Rights

http://www.animalrightshistory.org/timeline-victorian/wil-howard-williams.htm

This is a wonderful resource giving many examples of the early literature/materials that tells about the existence of compassionate humans who were a big part of the forming years of the Animal Rights Movement.
At a time where the general belief was, that animals lacked intelligence and since they weren’t intelligent enough to comprehend/process physical or emotional pain, that they would not be suffering when subjected to ranging from light to extreme levels of physical and emotional pain.
To many people in the world, ‘Humanity, Justice and Kindness to Animals’ were ideas, much too foreign to even give a thought to.
Despite the fact that this belief has sadly still not changed in the minds of some of todays people, many people accept that Animal Rights and Human Rights are no different than the other.

Poems

God’s Garden

God made a beatous garden
With lovely flowers strown,
But one straight, narrow pathway
That was not overgrown.
And to this beauteous garden
He brought mankind to live,
And said: “To you, my children,
These lovely flowers I give.
Prune ye my vines and fig trees,
With care my flowerets tend,
But keep the pathway open
Your home is at the end.”

Then came another master,
Who did not love mankind,
And planted on the pathway
Gold flowers for them to find.
And mankind saw the bright flowers,
That, glitt’ring in the sun,
Quite hid the thorns of av’rice
That poison blood and bone;
And far off many wandered,
And when life’s night came on,
They still were seeking gold flowers,
Lost, helpless and alone.

O, cease to heed the glamour
That blinds your foolish eyes,
Look upward to the glitter
Of stars in God’s clear skies.
Their ways are pure and harmless
And will not lead astray,
Bid aid your erring footsteps
To keep the narrow way.
And when the sun shines brightly
Tend flowers that God has given
And keep the pathway open
That leads you on to heaven.

Robert Frost (written in 1899)