Locke and Montesque

Read the following excerpt and answer the question below.

“We hold these truths to be self­evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

­Declaration of Independence

Source: National Archives

Based on this excerpt, which is the best definition of natural rights?

• rights that are determined by the courts

• rights that are granted by the monarch

• rights that are guaranteed by laws

• rights that are granted at birth

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights....

What is the main idea of this passage?

• Only citizens can enjoy the rights guaranteed by a government

• Government is necessary to promote equality.

• Government must equally distribute power among people

• People have rights that cannot be denied by any government

How did common sense affect colonial thinking?

• By encouraging colonist to favor federalism

• By encouraging to protest taxation

• By encouraging colonist to abolish slavery

• By encouraging to declare independence

The statements below are from the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights.

Which statement reflects the Enlightenment ideas of government as expressed by Montesquieu?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

The passage below is from a historical document

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it....:”

Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Based on the passage, where should governments get their power;

• from the legislative branch

• from the executive branch

• from the public

• from elected leaders

The quote below is from a historical document

"A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."

How does this quote reflect the influence of Enlightenment ideas on the Founding Fathers?

• They created a limited monarchy.

• They supported individual liberties.

• They had reservations about self-government.

• They were concerned with property rights.

Read the following excerpt from On the Spirit of Laws, by Baron de Montesquieu, and answer the question below.

"When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner."

Source: Public Domain\ ucs.louisiana.edu

Which aspect of the U.S. Constitution shows the influence of Montesquieu on the Founding Fathers?

• dividing power between two legislative bodies of government

• separating power among three branches of government

• balancing power between the people and the government

• dividing power between the state and national government

How did Common Sense impact the way colonists thought about government?

• They began to believe that they should be governed by the King rather than by Parliament.

• They began to believe that it was not practical to be governed by England.

• They began to believe that they should boycott laws with which they did not agree.

• They began to believe that it was important to develop their own English style of government

The image below concerns government.

Which Enlightenment idea is represented by the image?

• separation of powers

• checks and balances

• social contract

• natural law

Read the information and answer the question below.

Magna Carta---------

English Bill of Rights--------

What idea from these documents influenced the development of government in the American colonies?

• Governments should not have kings.

• Governments should not have legislative bodies.

• Governments should grant citizens specific rights.

• Governments should allow leaders to have unlimited power