Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Mary Wollstonecraft, Beccaria, and Voltaire influenced the American colonists to revolt against Britain, their current ruler, resulting in a new form of government...
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Thesis Cont.
and new laws and regulations, similar to the French citizens who overthrew their king and created a new establishment. -
John Locke
John Locke was a French Enlightenment thinker during the 1600s'. Locke was a philosopher who preached about humans three natural rights. A history textbook created by the authors Black and Beck explained Locke's beliefs and thoughts. It stated, "According to Locke, all people are born free and equal, with three natural rights—life, liberty, and property. The purpose of government, said Locke, is to protect these rights" (Black & Beck 551). Locke had a more positive outlook on... -
John Locke Cont.
human nature. He often disapproved of absolute monarchy and believed in a self-government; hence why he believed the government should protect humans life, liberty, and property. -
Mary Wollstonecraft
Mary Wollstonecraft was an advocate for women's rights. She encouraged women to participate in politics and further their education. The textbook stated, "In the essay, she disagreed with Rousseau that women’s education should be secondary to men’s. Rather, she argued that women, like men, need education to become virtuous and useful. Wollstonecraft
also believed that women not only should be able to be nurses but
also should be able to become doctors" (Black & Beck 555). Many women... -
Mary Wollstonecraft Cont.
were either teachers or nurses. They were never able to pursue further than that. Mary encouraged them to become nurses, but also continue on with their education and become doctors. -
Voltaire
François Marie Arouet, otherwise known as Voltaire, was the most influential French Enlightenment thinker. The history textbook stated, "Although he made powerful enemies, Voltaire never stopped fighting for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech" (Black & Beck 553). Voltaire was a big believer of religious tolerance. He explained that the Church should always stay separate from the state and the government should not be allowed to force its religion on its people. -
Montesquieu
Montesquieu was another French Enlightenment thinker during the late 1600s' and early 1700s'. Like Rousseau, he also believed in a self-governed country. He also believed in a equal and fair government. The textbook explained, "They interpreted the laws to see how each applied to a specific case. Montesquieu called this division of power among different branches separation of powers" (Black & Beck 553). Due to unfair regulations and laws made in France at the time, Montesquieu wanted to... -
Montesquieu Cont.
change the government system and wrote about how the there should be a 'separation of powers within it. -
Rousseau
Jean Jacques Rousseau was another great philosopher who believed in a self-governed nation. He described how the government should have an agreement with the people and should protect them at all costs. The textbook stated, "Rousseau believed that the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the “general will” of society—a direct democracy. Under such a government, people agree to give up some of their freedom in favor of the common... -
Rousseau Cont.
good. In 1762, he explained his political philosophy in a book called The Social Contract" (Black & Beck 554). Rousseau concluded that a government run by the citizens is the best form. He explained what the Social Contract was; it was an agreement between the government and its people. He believed in this the most. -
Beccaria
Cesare Bonesana Beccaria was an Italian philosopher. He focused he attention on the corrupt Justice System. The textbook stated, " He argued that a person accused of a crime should receive a speedy trial, and that torture should never be used. Moreover, he said, the
degree of punishment should be based on the seriousness of the crime" (Black & Beck 554). Many times, people would be tortured and on trial for days just to get a simple answer out of them. Sometimes, if they stole a piece of... -
Beccaria Cont.
bread, they'd receive a punishment of torture or a punishment that should only be received by someone who committed a very serious crime, such as murder. Beccaria wanted to change this. Because trials were so long, he believed the defendant had the right to a quick trial and the right to a jury and lawyer to speed up the process. He also explained how the punishment received, depended on the crime committed. -
The Stamp Act of 1765
Britain, or King George III to be more specific, was the ruler of the United States before the revolution started. According to iep.utm.edu, “In the pre-revolutionary years, Americans reacted to the misrule of King George III, the unfairness of Parliament (‘taxation without representation’) and exploitative treatment at the hands of a colonial power…” (iep.utm.edu). Britain also created the Stamp Act of 1765, which over-taxed on items without informing the colonists about it. Taxes were paid... -
The Stamp Act of 1765 (3)
have the right to overthrow the current leader, which is exactly what the colonists did. -
The Stamp Act of 1765 (2)
by the colonists with their own money for their own property, so by over-taxing the citizens without notifying them meant that the government was invading their property when it’s meant to protect it. Because they did not protect one of their natural rights, they revolted against Britain and King George III. This is similar to John Locke’s theory that every human has three natural rights: life, liberty, and property and it is the government’s job to protect them; if not, they... -
The Boston Massacre Trials
On March 5th 1770, the Boston Massacre took place. A fight broke out between the colonists and British soldiers. Five people ended up dead. Captain Preston and his men were automatically accused of killing those five people. According to John Adams Historical Society, “At the end of March 1770, just three weeks after the Boston Massacre, a grand jury had indicted Captain Preston and his men as well as four civilians accused of having fired from the window of... -
The Boston Massacre Trials (2)
the Customs House. Preston and his soldiers could not find a legal representative counsel, they approached several lawyers without success…” (john-adams-heritage.com).Preston and his soldiers could not find a legal representative counsel, they approached several lawyers without success…” (john-adams-heritage.com). Captain Preston and his men did not a fair trial and a lawyer to support them throughout the case. The Justice System at the time before and during the revolution... -
The Boston Massacre Trials (3)
was extremely corrupt, so there were laws and regulations made in the Bill of Rights – more specifically Amendments IV through VIII – to speed up trials and to make sure the defendant has a lawyer and the right to present in front of a jury. Beccaria, an Enlightenment thinker in France, wrote about how the Justice System in France was corrupt and that the person who committed the crimes should have the right to a lawyer and a jury, just like what the Bill of Rights stated. -
The Declaration of Independence (2)
Enlightenment thinker, believed this as well. He did not agree with an absolute monarchy, but a self-government, which is what the Declaration of Independence stated. The document is also a social contract between the government and the people. Rousseau also believed in a social contract between the two. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was created during post-revolution times. Within the document, it stated, according to ushistory.org, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” (ushistory.org). This is simply stating that the government should be self-governed, or government run by the people, and that it should protect the citizens’ rights. Rousseau, another French... -
Women's Rights
After the American Revolution, colonists began to question equality between women and men in politics. A women named, Eliza Wilkinson, was one of those people. Ushistory.org explained, “The Revolution increased people's attention to political matters and made issues of liberty and equality especially important. As ELIZA WILKINSON of South Carolina explained in 1783, ‘I won't have it thought that because we are the weaker sex as to bodily strength we are capable... -
Women's Rights (2)
of nothing more than domestic concerns. They won't even allow us liberty of thought, and that is all I want’” (ushistory.org). Not many women were able to openly participate in politics. It was seen as a more masculine concept, while domestic, or home-like, practices were seen more feminine. Wilkinson wanted to change that and encouraged women to openly contribute in politics. She didn’t believe that because women were seen as... -
Women's Rights (3)
weaker that they are only adept to working at home. Mary Wollstonecraft, during the French Revolution, also wanted women to take part in government since men in her time could only work in politics. -
The Three Branches of Government
: Before the revolution started, the King treated the colonists unfair and there was an unbalanced power within the rule. Colonists wanted someone to represent them in politics, but were denied the power to do so. Due to this, they wanted to change the rules and regulations of Congress. After the war, three branches were made to balance out each other’s powers. Trumanlibrary.org stated, “President of the United States administers the Executive Branch of our government. The President... -
The Three Branches of Government (3)
each other out and create a fair government. Montesquieu believed in a separation of powers within a government so that there is an equal amount of authority, similar to what the three branches of the United States’ government. -
The Three Branches of Government (2)
enforces the laws that the Legislative Branch (Congress) makes. The Legislative part of our government is called Congress. Congress makes our laws. The Judicial part of our federal government includes the Supreme Court and 9 Justices” (trumanlibrary.org). Each branch regulated and balanced each other out. When America only had one ruler, power wasn’t divided equally because only one person was making all the decisions. With these three branches that check each other, they are able to balance... -
Bill of Rights (2)
cannot make any law that favors one religion over another, and cannot limit the practice of others. By doing so, this eliminated the chance of government being involved with religion, so religion was separated from the government; this is comparable to what Voltaire – perhaps the greatest, most intelligent French Enlightenment Thinker, preached about. He believed that the Church/religion should be separate from the state, or government, which is what the Bill of Rights stated. -
Bill of Rights
During pre-revolutionary times, King George III forced his religion on the colonists and didn’t allow religious tolerance. Anyone who had different religious beliefs were often executed. After the war, the Bill of Rights was established. According to nationalhumanities.org, “Bill of Rights, opens with the declaration that ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof” (nationalhumanities.org). This means that Congress... -
Works Cited Cont.
“The Declaration of Independence: Full Text.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/declaration /document/.
“Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/us/13e.asp. -
Works Cited Cont.
“The Separation of Church and State from the American Revolution to the Early Republic, Divining America, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center.” The Effects of Removal on American Indian Tribes, Native Americans and the Land, Nature Transformed,
TeacherServe, National Humanities Center, nationalhumanities center.org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/sepchust.htm. -
Works Cited
Beck, Roger B. World History: Patterns of Interaction. McDougal Littell, 2005.
“The Boston Massacre Trials.” Second Continental Congress | John Adams Historical Society, www.john-adams-heritage.com/boston-massacre-trials/.
Ralston, Shane J. "American Enlightenment Thought." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Pennsylvania State University, n.d. Web.
“Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum.” 1, trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/teacher_lessons/3branches/1.htm.
