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Thomas Hobbes
Believed people are born evil, and when given power, they would corrupt it. He also believed in a social contract between people and government. He believed a monarchy was the best form of government. -
John Locke
Believed in the natural rights of life, liberty, and the right to own property. He was a Scotish English philosopher and enlightenment thinker. Locke had ideas that were used and implemented in the US constitution and government. -
Charels-Louis Montesquieu
Montesquieu believed in the seperation of power/ 3 brances of Governmnet; Judicial, Legislative & Executive. He believed that all three of these branches of government had equal power and influence over the goverment. His ideas were used and implemented in the design of the American system of government, -
Voltarie
Voltaire was a French writer, philosopher, and playwrighte. He believed in the freedom of speech, religion, & fair trail. Voltaire's ideas are found in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an inventor, philosopher, author, and politician. Franklin was a founding father of the United States of America, and a Pennsylvania statesmen. Benjamin Franklin invented and adopted revolutionary ideas about scientific rationality, religious toleration and experimental political organization—ideas that would have far-reaching effects on the nation. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Rousseau believed that "Every man born free and equal". HE believed in a social contract between people and government. Rousseau was a french enlightment philosopher, and impacted the US system of government when his ideas were implemneted into the Declaration of Independance by Thomas Jefferson. -
George Washington
George Washington was the first president of America, cheif general for continental army, and founding father of America. Washington was among the first thinkers to frame a vision for educating public servants in the administration of a democratic republic. He envisioned an education system, solidly grounded in liberal studies. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was an architect, a politician, and was chosen to write the Declaration of Independance unanimously, (1776). Jefferson Followed Locke's ideas when said "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in Declaration of Independance -
James Madison
James Madison was the author of US Constitution. He was the 5th President of America, a founding father, and a Revolutionary War soldier. Madison followed Rousseau's enlightenment ideas when he said "We the people" in the preamble pf the Constitution. -
The grievances of British subjects in the American colonies
The Declaration of Rights and Grievances was issued by the Stamp Act Congress in New York City in October 1765. It set forth what was to become the battle cry of the colonists -- no taxation without representation. The colonists followed Voltaire's enlightenment ideas, the freedom of speech, religion, and a fair trial. This contributed to their uprising and overthrowing of the nritish government. -
Revolution
The Revolution was the war of independence between Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government. Battles went on back and forth,but Americans had finally won their independence. Fighting wouldn't completely end until 1783. The colonists fought for all the rights of the enlightenment thinkers, including Montesquieu's seperation of powers goverment system, Voltaire's ideas of the freedom of speech, religion, and a fair trial. -
Declaration of Independence
The Continental Congress had made a declaration explaining the reasons for independence, primarily written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaratoin of independance includes many enlightenment ideas, such as the natural rights of man- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
Federalists
Federalists are someone who supports federalism and a strong government. For Federalist the Constitution had been required in order to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had created. Federalists believed in a social contract between the government and the people, influenced by the enlightenment thinkers ideas on social contracts. -
North West Ordinance
It provided a method of admitting new states into the union from the NW territory. It listed a bill of rights guarenteed in the territory, it also chartered a government for the North West Ordinance. -
Problems with the Articles of Confederation the need for the Constitution
Each state only had one vote in Congress, regardless of size, congress had not have the power to tax, congress did not have the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, there was no executive branch to enforce any acts passed by Congress, there was no national court system, amendments to the Articles of Confederation required a unanimous vote, laws required a 9/13 majority to pass in Congress. This led to the crreation of the US Constitution. The laws that we still use today. -
The US Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution divided the power of the government into 3 branches- legislative, executive, and judicial. All 3 branches with equal power. This replicated Montesquieu's spirit of laws enlightenment idea's. -
Anti-federalist
An anti-federalist is someone who is against creating a stronger government to the U.S., they believed all states should have a divided government. Their leaders included some of the most influential figures in the nation, including Patrick Henry and George Mason. Anti-Federalists eventually left the Convention. However, a compromise was reached that in exchange for Anti-Federalist support a Bill of Rights and the power of the federal government would be limited to those in the Constitution. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the US Constituiton. Our founding fathers felt this bill of rights was necessary in order to protect the freedoms of the poeple from whomever may threaten them, (foregin and domestic). The BIll of Rights includes many of the Enlightenment ideas. including the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech, and the right to a fair and speedy trial. -
Sam Adams
Statesmen, political philosopher, radical revolutionist, founder of The Sons of Liberty, Founding Father (debated). Sam adams was a radical revolutionist, and organized the Boston Tea Party. Adams was an agitator, a rebel, and a fearless critic of the British Empire. He agreed with the early American politician's affinity to Enlightenment political philosophy.
