Enlightenment

ENLIGHTENMENT
AND THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION

WORLD HISTORY TEKS

▶ (9)(A) compare the causes, characteristics, and

consequences of the American and French revolutions,
emphasizing the role of the Enlightenment.

▶ (9)(D) identify the influence of ideas such as separation of

powers, checks and balances, liberty, equality, democracy,
popular sovereignty, human rights, constitutionalism, and
nationalism on political revolutions.

BELL RINGER

▶ When you hear the word philosopher, what comes to

your mind? What do these people do?

▶ Philosophe

▶ Member of a group of Enlightenment thinkers who tried to apply the

methods of science to the improvement of society. Tried explaining why
stuff is without, “God did it”.

▶ Natural Law

▶ Rule or law that “governs” human nature. “Humans are like this because

of…”?

▶ Natural Right

▶ Right that belongs to all humans from birth. Unalienable rights.

▶ Enlightenment

▶Revolution in thinking. Through the use of reason (your own intelligence and
thoughts), people and governments could solve every social, political and economic
problem.

Terms to Know

THE PHILOSOPHES

▶ Denis Diderot – put together a collection of the writings of the major

philosophes.

▶ Montesquieu– Described the “perfect” government. Power provided

evenly over three branches of government - SEPARATION OF
POWERS

a. Legislative – Made laws (Congress)

b. Executive – Administered laws (President,

army, etc.)

c. Judicial – Interpreted and applied laws.

(Supreme Court and lesser courts.)

Montesquieu believed each branch should be

subject

to checks and balances.

CHECKPOINT 1

▶ The period of intellectual

thinking and the use of reason
to solve the problems of the
world is known as the?

▶ Enlightenment

PHILOSOPHES, CONT.

▶ Voltaire – Used public

opinion to fight
injustice. “I do not
agree with a word you
say, but I will fight to
the death for your right
to say it.” Believed the
perfect government
needed freedom of
speech and of religion.

PHILOSOPHES, CONT.

▶ Rousseau– Wrote the

“Social Contract.”
Believed that people were
born good, but corrupted
by the environment, bad
government, and laws.
He believed the best
government used
POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY
or a vote by all of the
people.

PHILOSOPHES, CONT.

▶ Locke– Wrote the “Two Treatises

of Government”

▶ English Philosopher who had

ideas about rights of people and
the relationship with their ruler.

▶ Government was created for the

people.

▶ If rules did not protect rights,

then people had right to get a
new government. (AM REV)

▶ Natural rights of life, liberty, and

property.

CHECKPOINT 2

▶ How did the ideas of John

Locke influence the American
colonists?

▶ That they have the right to overthrow the

government that is not working for the people.

▶ That natural rights should be protected

WOMEN AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT

▶ “Free and equal” did not

apply to women

▶ Mary Wollstonecraft – 1792 –

argued in “A Vindication of
the Rights of Woman,” that a
woman should be able to
decide what was in her own
best interest – not her
husband or father.

GROWTH OF CONSTITUTIONAL
GOVERNMENT

▶ Define “constitutional government”

▶ Government whose power is defined and limited by law and

by the people.

▶ British Constitution = Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights,

all Acts of Parliament and unwritten traditions that protect
citizens’ rights.

▶ British government not totally democratic.

▶ Oligarchy

▶ Government in which the ruling power belongs to a few

people.

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION

The 13 English
Colonies

Growing
Discontent

Early Clashes

•Part of British global
trade
• Mercantilist policies
• Navigation Acts:
regulated colonial
trade
• Colonists felt entitled
to the rights of
English citizens

• French and Indian
War drained British
treasury.
• Britain passed and
enforced new tax law
on the colonists
• “No taxation without
representation.”

• Boston Massacre
• Boston Tea Party
• Punitive laws passed
by British to punish
colonists
• Continental Congress
with representatives
from all 13 colonies

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

▶ Drafted by Thomas Jefferson

▶ People had the right to “alter or

abolish unjust governments.”

▶ Popular sovereignty

▶ All government power comes from

the people

▶ King had trampled the peoples’

natural rights of life, liberty, and
happiness.

▶ Colonists now had the right to rebel

CHECKPOINT 3

▶ From which philosophe did

Thomas Jefferson borrow the
ideas of natural rights (life,
liberty, and
property/happiness)?

▶ John Locke

THE CONSTITUTION

▶ Used ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire

▶ Created a Federal Republic

▶ Government in which power is divided between the

national, or federal government, and the states

▶ Separation of powers

▶ Bill of Rights added later.

▶ Federalist Papers – Writing campaign to convince

American citizens to ratify the new Constitution

▶ First President: George Washington.

EXIT TICKET