Enlightenment Vocabulary

A monarchy that has power limited by laws and a constitution.

• self-government

• absolute monarchy

• limited monarchy

• checks and balances

A group of leaders who united the 13 colonies, declared independence from Great Britain and built the framework of the government for the United States. Many of their ideas came from the Enlightenment philosophers.

• House of Representatives

• Congress

• Founding Fathers

• Senate

Government or control of a country by its own members rather than by members of a different country.

• dictatorship

• monarchy

• autocracy

• self-government

John Locke had the idea of natural law, which is also referred to as natural rights. What are these rights?

• to vote

• Life, liberty and property

• freedom of speech and religion

• freedom to bear arms

John Locke believed that governments should only exist to serve the will of the people. He believed that members of a society give up some of their power to the government and in return, the government protects the people.

• social contract

• legal contract

• democracy

• natural law

The first document to limit the powers of the king of England. It was signed in 1215.

• English Bill of Rights

• Bill of Rights

• Magna Carta

• Mayflower Compact

Montesquieu's idea that political power should be divided into 3 branches - legislative, executive and judicial.

• separation of powers

• federalism

• checks and balances

• self-government

The first document to establish self-government in the colonies. It was signed on the Mayflower before the passengers left the ship.

• English Bill of Rights

• Magna Carta

• Common Sense

• Mayflower Compact

A period in European history that emphasized education and using logic to improve people's lives. Before this, superstition was used to explain the world.

• Enlightenment

• New Age

• Holocaust

• 20th Century

This pamphlet was written by Thomas Paine. It encouraged colonists to gain their independence from England.

• Magna Carta

• English Bill of Rights

• Mayflower Compact

• Common Sense