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The American Revolution was the effect of the British crown going into debt and taxing the thirteen colonies to get rid of that debt.
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“His political theory of government by the consent of the governed as a means to protect the three natural rights of “life, liberty and estate” deeply influenced the United States’ founding documents.” (History.com) John Locke’s three natural rights helped to create an outline for America’s founding fathers to follow while they were writing the United States Constitution. The ideas enforced the thought that the government should protect the natural rights of people; life, liberty, and property. -
“The term "trias politica" or "separation of powers" was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher… Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers.” -
In this theory of separation of government powers Montesquieu argues that the three powers help the government keep each other in line. The executive involves the president and enforce the laws. In the legislative the people get their voices heard through congress. In the judicial system the laws are judged on constitutionality.
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“Rousseau, in Discours sur l’origine de l'inégalité (1755; Discourse on the Origin of Inequality), held that in the state of nature humans were solitary but also healthy, happy, good, and free.” The Social Contract Theory was all about Rousseau arguing that the government and the people had an agreement; the people could revolt against the government and create a new one. They provided the people with more power than they ever had before in any other form of government. -
“The French and Indian War put the British crown in debt. In order to increase revenues for the costs of defending the expanding British Empire, Britain taxed the colonies. It imposed the Sugar Act in 1764, and, one year later, it added the Stamp Act” (Britannica). The beginning of the American Revolution actually started with the growing debt of the British crown. -
They enforced unfair taxes on the colonies in America, which encouraged the colonists to view the Enlightenment philosophes and create a defense against the British crown. Like, representation in the government.
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“Voltaire’s prolific biting satire and philosophical writings demonstrated his aversion to Christianity, intolerance, and tyranny. He pleaded for a socially involved type of literature. Meanwhile, he rejected everything irrational and incomprehensible and championed freedom of thought. His rallying cry was “écrasez l’infâme” (“let us crush the evil thing”), referring to religious superstition.” -
With the ideas of separating the church from the state, Voltaire argued for equality of the religions. If the government were to have religious tolerance then they would not be able to force religions onto the people they rule over. Resulting in a freedom that the government cannot take away from the people.
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“In another effort to raise money and exert its authority over the colonies, Britain established the Townshend Acts in 1767. This series of acts placed taxes on tea, lead, paint, paper, and glass imported to the colonies. The acts were resisted through violence, deliberate refusal to pay, and hostility toward British agents” (Britannica). The British crown being in debt tried to evoke taxes from the colonies for things like tea, paint, paper, lead, and glass.
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The taxing was resisted by not paying and hostility towards British soldiers.
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“The British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, often called the Intolerable Acts in America. Among other actions, Britain closes the port of Boston and requires British troops to be housed in taverns and vacant buildings. The acts generate considerable sympathy for Massachusetts among other colonies” (NPS) -
“In late 1773, leaders in many colonies planned to prevent the East India Company from landing tea shipments. In Boston, however, the tea ships arrived in port but would not leave. On December 16, groups of 50 men each boarded three ships, broke open the tea chests, and threw them into the harbor. As news of the "tea party" spread, similar acts of resistance occurred in other ports” (LOC)