For as long as humans have been walking planet Earth, killing animals has been a constant. In our earliest times, meat was crucial for sustaining life. Animals fed us, clothed us and kept us always on high alert for danger. But every generation encourages change, and every generation has animal lovers. Throughout the years, some good souls have questioned our way of life. Do we need to use so many animals for food and clothing if science tells us we don’t even need them to sustain life anymore? Some still say we do, but maybe we don’t.

The word vegan was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson who co-founded the Vegan Society in London, England. He and his colleagues decided that the word, vegetarian was too broad, and that they needed a new word that would describe a stricter way of eating that cut out all forms of animal sourced foods. They played around with options and came up with the word vegan (they took the first 3 letters and last 2 letters of the word, vegetarian.) Was this the beginning of veganism? No, not even close. This form of eating has been an option for thousands of years but was considered a form of vegetarianism. Although veganism has been around for a very long time, we don’t have a lot of written proof. But we do have other forms of proof.

https://www.vegansociety.com/about-us/history

Pythagoras lived in ancient Greece in 500 B.C. and was thought to have been the earliest vegetarian on record to have avoided meat. Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher and is best known for his theory of right angles. The Pythagorean Theorem may come to mind when reflecting on the lessons of middle school geometry. Pythagoras was also well-known for his support of all animals. He didn’t believe that people needed to consume meat to be healthy. He also believed animals had souls, just like humans, and that we could be reincarnated as an animal after death, and vice versa. What does religion tell us about animals?

https://www.ivu.org/history/greece_rome/pythagoras.html

The oldest religion on earth is Hinduism. Hinduism is an umbrella of spiritual groups and has no central doctrinal authority. Some people who claim to be Hindu do not belong to any denomination. Their general belief is that the spirit of God is in all living things, and all living things have an important place on earth. Over a trillion people on earth fall under the Hindu umbrella, mostly centered around southeast Asia. Most Hindus were vegetarian, but meat eating has been creeping into mainstream Hinduism. However, all still have a special respect for animals and are against all violence toward people and animals. Just as Pythagoras believed in animals with souls, so too did Hindus, Buddhas and Jains. The vast majority of Jains are vegan. Although Jains are a small share, their numbers have reached approximately 4 million worldwide.

https://www.hinduamerican.org/issues/hinduism-and-the-ethical-treatment-of-animals/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jainism

Buddhism started as a way of treating most everything on earth as something that has value. Respect the trees, the plants, the soil, the water, the air, and all living creatures who inhabit the earth. The path to enlightenment and ethics began with compassion for and care for all living things. As you might imagine many people who practiced Buddhism thought twice about what they put in their mouths. Some are vegan, some are vegetarian, and some limit their intake of animal products. Karma is a philosophy that began in Buddhism and is another way of saying, what goes around comes around. Treat animals kindly and they will treat you kindly, as well. Take care of the earth and its inhabitants and they will take care of you. This religion and philosophy has changed over the years, but the practice of Buddhism continues. Although most are vegetarian, many have adopted a vegan lifestyle. Lots of people from the western world wonder how people stay healthy eating only plants. Meat and dairy are so engrained in our culture and in our minds that we cannot fathom ever changing our lifestyle to accommodate a better life for the animals. Not only have people survived cutting out animals in their lives, but some have thrived.

https://www.animallawconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Buddhism-and-Animal-Rights.pdf

The best athletes in ancient Rome were vegetarians – the Roman Gladiators. The remains of Roman Gladiators who lived 2,000 years ago, have been studied and scientists have learned that they consumed primarily a vegetable and grain diet. How did they know this? Plant eaters build up a substance called strontium in their bones. Strontium levels were much higher in the Gladiators than the average meat eater. How did they gain muscle mass and how were they able to fight? They were able to get the nutrients they needed from plants. High carbohydrate, high protein whole grains like barley and farro, and legumes like beans along with a variety of vegetables, sustained these athletes through grueling training sessions and extensive fighting. Science tells us that humans gain just as much muscle mass on a balanced, plant-based diet as they do on a meat heavy diet.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3761927/

https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2025/05/27/muscle-building-meat-versus-vegan-plant-based

Knowing that athletes have been able to perform well without eating meat, for centuries, is still not something people are convinced of in the western, industrialized world. When the media and some specialists are constantly questioning the ability for humans to get all the nutrients they need without using animals, a lot of hesitation can result. Fear is a great motivator. History can be a motivator as well. Learning from the past and making every effort to reduce pain and suffering should be considered. Were there any other famous people who were animal rights activists?

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) lived in Italy most of his life and was a famous artist and influencer in the Renaissance Period. His most famous paintings were of the Last Supper and of the Mona Lisa. He also spoke up for animals and lived a life that was true to his beliefs that animals should be respected, cared for and free. He once said, “I have from an early age abjured the use of meat, and the time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of men.” Da Vinci wore so many hats – he was an artist, botanist, geologist, engineer, mathematician, musician, but best of all he loved animals and wanted to protect them. He spoke out about the systemic and abusive way we treat chickens, birds and fish. He refused to eat animals because he knew they were a gift and deserved our utmost respect. It’s not clear if he was a vegan or vegetarian, but it was clear he was a friend and not a foe.

https://headlines.peta.org/leonardo-da-vinci-animal-rights-pioneer-2019-anniversary/

Another famous vegetarian was Albert Einstein. Although he ate meat for most of his life, he was convinced that it wasn’t the healthiest of food options. He decided to become a vegetarian later in life because he felt guilty that he was causing so much pain and suffering to animals and because he felt he would be healthier without it.

https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/einstein-go-veg.pdf

It is hypothesized that the practice of The Three Sisters may have originated in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago. The Three Sisters was the planting and consuming of 3 foods that benefit each other when grown together – these are corn, beans and squash. Indigenous Americans also practiced this planting system. When consumed together these 3 foods can sustain human life by providing the nutrients we need to grow and to maintain our health. Imagine Americans eating only 3 foods and being as healthy as an ox?! When meat, eggs, dairy and fish are scarce people figure out how to survive. This is just another example of using plants to sustain us.

https://www.nal.usda.gov/collections/stories/three-sisters

History is filled with kind and compassionate humans who have felt a need to step up and lead in ways that take courage and persistence. Modern science shows us that their desire to inflict the least amount of harm on innocent beings as is possible, is not only doable but can be healthy for humans, too. If there is no good reason to kill animals, maybe we can stop or at least curb our enthusiasm. We are all inhabitants of earth who have a desire to love and be loved. Now it’s time to step up and make history by learning how to help those who are most vulnerable. It’s never too late to do the right thing.

The History of Veganism

Exposing the Mistruths of Veganism