​ 5.1 The Enlightenment

​ 5.1 The Enlightenment

By Isiah Jones

Open Ended

Is it better to follow the rules as they are, or to question them if you think they are unfair?

​The Enlightenment: Questioning Everything
Essential Question: How did the Enlightenment shape the intellectual and ideological thinking that affected reform and revolution after 1750?

​Historical Thinking Skill: CAUSATION

​Key Concept
5.1.II: Enlightenment philosophies applied new ways of understanding and empiricist approaches to both the natural world and human relationships; they also reexamined the role that religion played in public life and emphasized the importance of reason.

Enlightenment: An intellectual movement in the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized reason, individualism, and freedom/liberty over tradition and authority.

Social Contract: A theory that government is an agreement between the people and the government/ruler, in which people give up some freedoms in exchange for order and protection.

Natural Rights: Rights that all people are born with, such as life, liberty, and property, according to philosopher John Locke.

Laissez-faire: An economic philosophy advocating for minimal government intervention in the economy; a French term meaning "leave alone."

Nationalism: A feeling of intense loyalty to a group of people who share a common language and culture, often leading to the desire for an independent nation-state.

Multiple Choice

The Enlightenment philosopher John Locke argued that if a government violates the people's natural rights, the social contract is broken. Based on this definition, what is the most likely consequence Locke would support?

• The people have the right to overthrow the government.
• The people should ignore the government's actions.
• Citizens should accept the government's authority.
• The government must be reformed peacefully.

Multiple Choice

If a government strictly followed a policy of laissez-faire during the early Industrial Revolution, how would it most likely respond to reports of unsafe working conditions in factories?

• The government would provide financial support for factory improvements.
• The government would likely ignore the reports of unsafe working conditions.
• The government would conduct thorough investigations into the reports.
• The government would implement strict regulations on factory safety.

Multiple Choice

In the 19th century, the rise of nationalism within the multiethnic Austrian Empire would most directly encourage which of the following developments?

• Movements for national self-determination among ethnic groups.
• Expansion of colonial territories beyond Europe.
• Suppression of ethnic identities by the state.
• Increased centralization of imperial power.

🖍️ Annotation Expectation

• Highlight Enlightenment ideas or arguments

• Label ideas with:
  C = Cause → the idea or belief
  E = Effect → what changed or happened after 1750

• For every E (Effect):
  👉 Explain the effect briefly in your own words
  

📝 Worksheet Reminder

Directions: Fill in the chart for each Enlightenment thinker using your annotations:

• Key Idea (C)

• Effect after 1750 (E, in your own words)

• AP Theme (GOV / CDI / SIO)

Open Ended

How did the Enlightenment critiques of traditional authority (monarchy, church) and advocacy for natural rights directly cause revolutionary movements in the Atlantic World (e.g., America, France)?

Open Ended

Was the Enlightenment fundamentally a movement of elite intellectuals, or did its ideas genuinely empower broader populations (workers, women, enslaved people) to seek reform and revolution? Defend your argument.

(Skill: Argumentation)