The Enlightenment & American Revolution
Navigation Acts
-1651 British Parliament passed a trade law -prevented colonists from selling valuable products anywhere but Britain -high taxes also placed on items imported from anywhere but Britain
Battle of Lexington
-1775 Lexington, Massachusetts -under the command of a Virginian named George Washington, the American Colonists exchanged gunfire with British -Beginning of American Revolution
Declaration of Independence
-1776 the Second Continental Congress issued this document written by Thomas Jefferson firmly based off of John Lockes ideas -Natural Rights -Document declared separation from Britain
Checks and Balances
-3 branches: legislative, executive, judicial -no one branch had power over the others
Beccaria
-Abolishment of torture -Italian philosopher -based off of idea that government should seek the greatest good for the people
Stamp Act
-American Colonists benefited from the British win of the French and Indian War & wanted them to help pay for the expenses -americans were outraged because this violated "taxation without representation"
causes of the American Revolution
-American Colonists were outraged from high taxes -taxation without representation
The Enlightenment
-Americans used enlightenment ideas to justify independence -they wanted the same political rights that that a social contract guarantees
Separation of Powers
-Baron de Montesquieu -no power should be in the hands of one group -even spread power
Abolishment of Torture
-Beccaria -Government must do whats in the best interest of the whole people -degree of punishment based off of crime severity (no unusual punishment)
Bill of Rights
-Federalists added 10 amendments to the constitution to directly protect rights of speech and religion
French and Indian War
-French were also colonizing in North America but the British had conflict with them -The French enlisted many Native American tribes to fight with them however the British won
Right to Rebel
-If government violates citizens natural rights, then the people have the right to gain them back by overthrowing their leader/electing a new leader
Natural Rights
-John Locke -people have the natural ability to look after the welfare of their society -all people have equal rights to life, liberty, property
What enlightenment ideas and thinkers influenced the US Constitution?
-John Locke's freedom of life, liberty, and happiness were greatly shown in the US Constitution
What Enlightenment ideas and Enlightenment thinkers inspired the Declaration of Independence?
-John Lockes ideas of natural rights heavily influenced the declaration of independence.
Thomas Hobbes
-Leviathan: all humans are naturally selfish and wicked -people need a strong ruler to control them -social contract (gave rights to keep control)
John Locke
-Natural rights: life, liberty, property -criticized monarchy and supported self government
Social Contract
-Thomas Hobbes -People give rights to the government for order and control
Freedom of Thought and Expression
-Voltaire -all people have the right to say what they want
Religious Freedom
-Voltaire -government shouldn't control peoples right to believe what they want
What Enlightenment ideas and Enlightenment thinkers influenced the Bill of Rights?
-Voltaire's ideas contributed to protecting freedom of speech, religion, and expression as in the Bill of Rights.
Women's Equality
-Wollstonecraft -women need to have equal education and represent a workforce
Wollstonecraft
-Womens equality 1700s -A Vindication of the Rights of Woman -urged women to enter male dominated fields of life
Articles of Confederation - Why was it considered weak?
-a loose confederation that created a weak national government. -each state only had one congress vote -no power to collect taxes or regulate trade -passing laws was difficult
Federal System
-a system where power was divided between national and state governments
Legacy of Enlightenment
-belief in progress -enlightenment thinkers opened the door of the growth of scientific knowledge which spread to all other fields of knowledge
Rousseau
-committed to individual freedom -believed that the only good government is chosen/formed by the government -his ideas inspired French Revolution
Boston Tea Party
-filled with anger, Americans dumped the highly taxed British tea into a harbor
Voltaire
-freedom of thought and expression -religious freedom -he often used satire against the clergy, aristocracy, and the government
The Constitution
-leaders realized the need for a strong government -1787 Congress passed a constitutional convention to revise the articles -55 delegates met and over time developed a new type of government involving checks and balances
Enlightenment
-mid 1700s -a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought
Montesquieu
-separation of powers -believed that the British government should not be controlled by one group but spread evenly -later developed into "checks and balances"
Philosophes
-social critics of the enlightenment
What was the purpose of the Bill of Rights
-the Bill of Rights protected all peoples natural rights
What important ideas were created in the constitution?
-the constitution put enlightenment ideas into practice
Thomas Jefferson
-virginia statesman that supported enlightenment ideas and wrote the Declaration of Independence
