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In 1651, Thomas Hobbes published the “Leviathan.”
The British Civil War occurred during the time that Hobbes was publishing the “Leviathan” which strengthened his views on the human state of nature. Through this publication, Hobbes advocated for absolute monarchs and emphasized the importance of central government. “The Leviathan” impacted the development of political structures and the importance of a central government power. www.inquiresjournal.com
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e7j2TRei9Hb2XOnUfhCBYkZxJQTrFYNjgTw6s7uvAAw/edit -
In 1690, John Locke published “Two Treatises on Government.”
King James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution during the creation of this publication. Locke expressed concepts like the purpose of government, freedom, and law. He strongly believed in freedom and equality for citizens. In the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the unalienable rights were influenced by Locke. His writings impacted newly forming democracies and the American Revolution. www.study.com https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rCfY2oRT3-eJr7pMOX9mHL9aAnO7FBeGh1Qd6KvsGcU/edit -
In 1748, Baron de Montesquieu published the “Spirit of Laws, “ and he outlined the condition of a country determining the political and social structure.
The French Revolution had not yet occurred when the “Spirit of Laws” was created, but the publication influenced it. Montesquieu impacted the U.S. Constitution through his idea of three branches having balanced power in government, so the checks and balances system was adopted by the United States. Montesquieu lived during the French Enlightenment when salons were created for meeting to talk. www.enotes.com https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cbxKS0WhTYTLYRFNpHb2fEExGEBzD759OwccilCrLA4/edit -
In 1762, Jean-Jacques Rousseau published "The Social Contract.” It attempted to unite the the liberty of an individual with the authority of government. It helped to show the importance of education.
Locke and Hobbes had already published their writings by this time which influenced Rousseau’s philosophies. "The Social Contract" influenced the French Revolution and political structures. Rousseau believed in the protecting of liberty and equality. His ideas focused on the idea that the people should be treated as one. His publication was published shortly ahead of the American Revolution. www.newhistorian.com https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WfNSRLRGRmAml4mfVinQVZGAgO1mrQjozXPFgT9wZ5E/edit -
In 1764, Cesare Beccaria published “On Crimes and Punishments.”
“On Crimes and Punishments” was first written anonymously. Governments of the time used cruel punishments and ruled with fear. Beccaria found it necessary that people have fair and speedy trials with humane punishments when found guilty. This influenced justice systems like in the U.S.. The United States Constitution was written based off of the principles of justice and equality.
www.constitution.org https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yWBZwje2lqvfTUxcouNs1MsFTZajJxlFX6RzCwMeF74/edit