The Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution through many events and philosophers during this time.
By emmabriscoe
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Thomas Hobbes
Before Thomas Hobbes’s idea that all people are naturally evil and selfish, every area of the world had a king that ruled with absolute power, or a monarchy. So at this time, Britain and America believed it and made its government that way. When the colonists came over to the United States, Britain did not agree with it so they ultimately started a war. In the long run, the colonists abandoned the monarchy idea and started a government that didn’t involve a king. -
Seperation of Powers
The seperation of powers has to due with how the government will use its power to rule over its citizens. It was created by Montesquieu. However, it has a lot to do with the loss of money because he is signing a law that the citizens have not heard about and are not expecting. Montesquieu argued that the best way to secure liberty and prevent a government from becoming corrupt was by dividing the powers of government among people who would check them consistently. -
John Locke
John Locke thought that all people had three natural rights; life, liberty, and property. He said that once we were born we will automatically get these rights since we are human. Locke thought that the government would protect the rights of their citizens. The Declaration of Independence adopted these rights and changed it to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Locke's ideas were followed and gave many people the freedom they've always wanted. -
Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Locke and Rousseau developed the Social Contract theory where they decided that the government borrowed its power from the approval of those governed. Jefferson would use these words and others from Locke (Life, Liberty and property), to espouse the American promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. -
Baron de Montesquieu
Montesquieu made a point that the best way to secure liberty and prevent a government from becoming corrupted was to divide the powers of government among trusted people. James Madison and the Founding Fathers took this into consideration by establishing an independent executive, legislative, and judiciary in the federal Constitution. Montesquieu's idea led on to a disagreement and caused war. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau liked system of direct democracy. He wanted the people and the government to create a social contract. This social contract consisted of letting the government have control over the people and in return, the government with protect their human rights. He stated, "First, there is natural liberty, which is the duty of man to provide for his own... second civil liberty, which consists of the freedoms people relinquish and allows people to govern and maintain order."(Nicholson 92). -
Rousseau pt.2
Slavery has always been an issue in the past. Rousseau wrote that “Man is born free… but everywhere he is in chains.” (Nicholson 92). During the American Revolution many slaves continued to support the British because they would promise slaves that any of them that fought with Britian would be freed. -
Cesare Baccaria
The commentary of Baccaria's essay, "On Crimes and Punishment," fated torture and the death penalty. Baccaria's ideas were likely to stir arguments with the government so he first published his essay anonymously. Everyone was talking great about it, Baccaria republished it with his name. Three tenets: free will enables people to make choices. rational manner will help with making choices and manipulation. Baccaria's law makes it so you wont be killed for eating a apple. -
Voltaire
Voltaire spoke for the freedom of the press and the tolerance of religions. He was arrested by the French government twice. Voltaire said that God, created the universe and began the mechanisms in it before allowing it to run on its own path and not changing it. This is what led to the Founding Fathers seeing God as someone who would support them in their fight for independence. -
Boston Massacure
This was one of the first battles in the American Revolution. In 1770, British troops were sent to Boston to keep order and in an incident, five colonists were shot and killed. In 1776, Great Britain passed a series of taxes known as the Townshend Acts. This act raised taxes on certain goods such as; glass, paper, and tea, which led to more boycotts and violence in Massachusetts. This was followed by the Boston Tea Party. The ideas of the enlightenment caused fighting between groups. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is mainly written on the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like, John Locke. What Jefferson mostly wrote, comes directly from Locke’s ideas about the government. The Declaration says that people have certain rights just because they are human. These rights are not given to them by the government and cannot be taken away from them. They are human rights. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation wouldn't give the government the power to tax people. Because of this, people who owned property were able to keep it and not be wiped out by taxes they could not afford. This connects with John Locke’s idea that all men are born with property, and when you are born with something, like your right or family, it cannot be taken away from you. -
Checks and Balances
Montesquieu established three separate government branches. This provided a specific power to each branch which set up the "Checks and Balances" system. With this system, each branch will check the branches of the other two branches, keeping the government from becoming too powerful. -
Works cited
Rayca, Brian. “How Did the Enlightenment Influence the American Revolution?” Quora, www.bing.com/cr?IG=CD7F568D3FDA4F3EBE34782EAD0E59A1&CID=0DA18584CE1064563F318E60CFBF65E7&rd=1&h=Hmmlc_inJPEppb7FubTNVG3BEIet0SBtYd9MQ8bgTCg&v=1&r=https%3a%2f%2fwww.quora.com%2f&p=DevEx.LB.1,5476.1.
“Enlightenment Contributions - John Locke.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/johnlockerocksocks/enlight. -
Works cited
“Charles Secondat, Baron De Montesquieu.” Montesquieu, Separation of Powers, the Constitution, and the Founding Fathers, www.americassurvivalguide.com/montesquieu.php.
“How Did Jean-Jacques Rousseau Impact Government?” Enotes.com, Enotes.com, www.enotes.com/homework-help/how-did-jean-jacques-rousseau-impact-government-280589.
Beck, Roger B. World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Littell, 2005. -
Works cited
“Cesare Beccaria.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 7 Nov. 2016, www.biography.com/people/cesare-beccaria-39630.
Iggans, Brian. “ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.” Sutori, www.sutori.com/story/enlightenment-and-the-american-revolution-61e9339c-3249-4d10-b1e8-26d097082bc8.
Nicholson, Rebekah (2006) "The Enlightenment and Its Effects on the Haitian Revolution of 1789-1804," McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 11. -
Works cited
“Primary Documents in American History.” Apple Computers: This Month in Business History (Business Reference Services, Library of Congress), Victor, 25 Apr. 2017, www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html.
Wandrei, Kevin. “Thomas Hobbes' Importance in American Government.” Synonym, 9 May 2018, classroom.synonym.com/thomas-hobbes-importance-american-government-22001.html.
