Chapter 22: Enlightenment and Revolution

Rousseau

(1712-1778) Believed that society threatened natural rights and freedoms. Wrote about society's corruption caused by the revival of sciences and art instead of it's improvement. He was sponsored by the wealthy and participated in salons but often felt uncomfortable and denounced them. Wrote "The Social Contract."

Beccaria

(1738-1794) wrote 'On Crimes and Punishments', wanted laws to conform to rational laws of nature, he believed that no one deserves to be mistreated.

Declaration of Independence

1776 statement, issued by the Second Continental Congress, explaining why the colonies wanted independence from Britain.

Thomas Jefferson

3rd President of the United States , He was a delegate from Virginia at the Second Continental Congress and wrote the Declaration of Independence. He later served as the third President of the United States.

federal system

A government that divides the powers of government between the national government and state or provincial governments

Scientific Revolution

A major change in European thought, starting in the mid-1500s, in which the study of the natural world began to be characterized by careful observation and the questioning of accepted beliefs.

checks and balances

A major principle of the American system of government. Helps maintain separation of powers so that no one branch gets too powerful. Explained in Federalist 51. Examples: President vetos laws; Senate confirms appointments & treaties; Congress impeaches president & judges...

Enlightenment

A philosophical movement in eighteenth-century Europe that fostered the belief that one could reform society by discovering rational laws that governed social behavior and were just as scientific as the laws of physics.

scientific method

A series of steps followed to solve problems including collecting data, formulating a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and stating conclusions.

social contract

According to Thomas Hobbes, an agreement people make with government

Bill of Rights

Although the Anti-Federalists failed to block the ratification of the Constitution, they did ensure that the Bill of Rights would be created to protect individuals from government interference and possible tyranny. The Bill of Rights, drafted by a group led by James Madison, consisted of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which guaranteed the civil rights of American citizens.

baroque

An artistic style of the seventeenth century characterized by complex forms, bold ornamentation, and contrasting elements

Mary Wollstonecraft

British feminist of the eighteenth century who argued for women's equality with men, even in voting, in her 1792 "Vindication of the Rights of Women."

In what way was Frederick the Great typical of an enlightened despot?

Catherine of Russia, tried to fix some of the laws but was unsuccessful, she also tried to end serfdom. However she increased the nobles power. Frederick the Great of Prussia was an enlightened despot. He gave his people religious freedom and improved schooling. He also reformed the justice system. However, he did nothing to end serfdom, which made peasants slaves to the wealthy landowners.

How did the science of medicine change?

Doctors also made advances. One made drawings that showed the different parts of the human body. Another learned how the heart pumped blood through the body. In the late 1700s, Edward Jenner first used the process called vaccination to prevent disease. By giving a person the germs from a cattle disease called cowpox, he helped that person avoid getting the more serious human disease of smallpox.

geocentric theory

Earth-centered view of the universe that came from the Greek philosopher Aristotle

Isaac Newton

English mathematician and scientist- invented differential calculus and formulated the theory of universal gravitation, a theory about the nature of light, and three laws of motion. was supposedly inspired by the sight of a falling apple.

Explain the influence of Enlightenment ideas.

Enlightenment ideas strongly influenced the American and French revolutions. Enlightenment thinkers also helped spread the idea of progress. By using reason, they said, it is possible to make society better. Enlightenment thinkers helped make the world less religious and more worldly. They also stressed the importance of the individual.

Baron de Montesquieu

French writer concerned with government and political liberty

What old belief about the universe did the new discoveries destroy?

He made one of the first telescopes and used it to study the planets. He found that Jupiter had moons, the sun had spots, and Earth's moon was rough. Some of his ideas about the earth, the sun, and the planets went against the teaching of the Catholic Church. Church authorities forced Galileo to take back his statements. Still, his ideas spread.

What was the Scientific Revolution?

In the mid-1500s, attitudes began to change. Scholars started what is called the Scientific Revolution. It was a new way of thinking about the natural world. It was based on careful observation and the willingness to question old beliefs.

salon

Informal social gatherings at which writers, artists, philosophes, and others exchanged ideas

Explain how the Constitution divides power.

It used Montesquieu's idea of separation of powers into three branches of government. Through a system of checks and balances, each branch was able to prevent other branches from abusing their power. The Constitution also set up a federal system. Under this system, power was divided between national and state governments.

philosophes

Social critics in France

What thinkers helped advance the use of the scientific method?

The English writer Francis Bacon helped create this new approach to knowledge. He said scientists should base their thinking on what they can observe and test. The French mathematician René Descartes also influenced the use of the scientific method. His thinking was based on logic and mathematics.

Galileo Galilei

This scientist proved Copernicus' theory that the sun was the center of the solar system and developed the modern experimental method.

Catherine the Great

This was the empress of Russia who continued Peter's goal to Westernizing Russia, created a new law code, and greatly expanded Russia

How were Hobbes's and Locke's views different?

To avoid this war, Hobbes said, people formed a social contract. It was an agreement between people and their government. People gave up their rights to the government so they could live in a safe and orderly way. The best government, he said, is that of a strong king who can force all people to obey. You can even say that he supports a monarchy government, and or giving power to one ruler. John Locke believed that people have three natural rights. They are life, liberty, and property. The purpose of government is to protect these rights. When it fails to do so, he said, people have a right to overthrow the government.

Name the types of freedoms that Enlightenment thinkers championed.

Voltaire for speech and religion and or Russo for equality. French thinkers called philosophies had five main beliefs: (1) thinkers can find the truth by using reason; (2) what is natural is good and reasonable, and human actions are shaped by natural laws; (3) acting according to nature can bring happiness; (4) by taking a scientific view, people and society can make progress and advance to a better life; and (5) by using reason people can gain freedom.

Voltaire

Writer who fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech

Why were salons important?

Writers and artists held social gatherings called salons. A woman named Marie-Thérèse Geoffrin became famous for hosting these discussions. Geoffrin also supplied the money for one of the major projects of the Enlightenment. With her funds, Denis Diderot and other thinkers wrote and published a huge set of books called the Encyclopedia. Their aim was to gather all that was known about the world.

enlightened despot

is a form of absolute monarchy or despotism inspired by the Enlightenment. Enlightened monarchs especially embraced its emphasis upon rationality.

neoclassical

relating to a simple, elegant style (based on ideas and themes from ancient Greece and Rome) that characterized the arts in Europe during the late 1700s

heliocentric theory

New way of thinking about the natural world based on careful observation and a willingness to question

What new styles and forms appeared in art, music, and literature?

Now styles began to change from baroque to neoclassical. A new simpler, yet elegant, style of painting and architecture developed. This style borrowed ideas and themes from Classical Greece and Rome. That is the reason it was called neoclassical.Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig von Beethoven. They composed music that was elegant and original. New musical forms were developed, including the sonata and the symphony. In literature, the novel became popular. This new form presented long stories with twisting plots. It explored the thoughts and feelings of characters.

How did the colonists' image of themselves clash with their status as colonists?

People in the colonies began to see themselves less and less as British subjects. Still, Parliament passed laws that governed the colonies. One set of laws banned trade with any nation other than Britain.

John Locke

Philosopher who wrote about government also, life liberty and property.

Name some of the steps that led to the American Revolution.

The colonists met the first tax, passed in 1765, with a boycott of British goods. Their refusal to buy British products was very effective. It forced Parliament to repeal the law. Over the next decade, the colonists and Britain grew further apart. Some colonists wanted to push the colonies to independence. They took actions that caused Britain to act harshly. Eventually, the conflict led to war. Representatives of the colonies met in a congress and formed an army. In July 1776, they announced that they were independent of Britain. They issued the Declaration of Independence. It was based on Enlightenment ideas. Thomas Jefferson wrote it.