How Did The Enlightenment Ideas Influence The American Revolution

Chapter 17 Margin Notes- Atlantic Revolutions and Their Echoes 1) In what ways did the ideas of the Enlightenment contribute to the Atlantic Revolution? The Enlightenment ideas contributed to the Atlantic Revolution because people believed that the ideas were telling them to fight for liberty, natural rights, equality, and free trade, provided which provided the intellectual underpinnings of the Atlantic Revolutions.

He helped keep peace in desperate measures. John Adams had a large political voice and led early America to

There were many philosophers in the 17th and 18th century that influenced and inspired the founders of our country. For instance, John Locke believed that life, liberty, and property should be our natural rights as humans and if the government could not secure these rights then the people could get rid of them. That idea impacted Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. This was the perfect time to develop different theories and contradictions because this was right around the time of the printing press and protestant reformation where people started to question the catholic church. Other philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Rousseau impacted founders like George Washington and James Madison who have positively affected this country in many different ways.

Locke’s justification of revolt, based off of the theory of natural rights, was what gave Thomas Jefferson the background in writing The Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence from the declaration written by John

He helped us in the American Revolution by expertly writing the Declaration of Independence, perfectly articulating how the Patriots felt about their need for separation. His system of beliefs was another contribution to society, which still influences many people today. Lastly, Jefferson’s inventions were also very important contributions to society, some which greatly affect how we live our lives today. I shall leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Jefferson. “Do you want to know who you are?

Have you ever wondered why American Mythology became so popular in the United States? Mythologies were important during this era because it highlighted the nation's values and ideals. It also celebrated its heroes. As the United States began to break away from Britain, they wanted to feel a sense of independence. In the story “Rip Van Winkle” by Washington Irving, a national mythology is created through the experience of the, the main character, Rip Van Winkle.

The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening periods in American history contributed not only to the Revolutionary War, but also shaping America into its present day self. The Enlightenment period brought a sense of self-awareness; science was now applied to all aspects of life (religion, politics, trade, and life itself). Intellectuals began questioning what gives or allows a person the right to govern - as illustrated in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book The Social Contract (1762). Rousseau’s contention was that individuals had “natural rights” to life, liberty, and property that rulers could not deny (Schultz, 2013 p. 69). The Enlightenment also spurred a reformation in education; the days of religious based curricula were being challenged, philosophy and the concept of reasoning were introduced.

Enlightenment Influence on American Government and Revolution The Enlightenment era was around the 18th century. A time where many different philosophers imputed many of their own thoughts and beliefs on religion, human rights, the government and other important situations involving our country today. Many figures associated with the Enlightenment were, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Baron Montesquieu, and Beccaria, to name a few.

One important cause that i will mention is the idea of Manifest destiny. This idea was thought out by Americans and is basically about how America’s government felt that they had the god given right to take land from other empires and expand to those areas. This idea and the amount of opportunity had a great impact on the US expansion and how it came to be. These documents are similar because they both prove my claim on reasoning for the US expansion. They are also similar to each other because they both explain in some way how America’s actions affected the country and other parts of the world.

One of the biggest influences that John Locke had on President Jefferson was, what John Locke dubbed, “Natural Rights,” and what Jefferson called, “Unalienable Rights.” Meaning practically the same thing, these rights were very similar, and it is obvious that Jefferson’s version derives from Locke’s ‘Natural Rights.’ John Locke’s version stated that all peoples shall possess the following rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. In this case, life means, that people people will fight to live and want to survive. Liberty refers to being free, and being able to make one’s own decision.

The enlightenment was an important aspect in achieving every angle of the colonial America, such as the politics, religion and the social economic of the USA .During and after the Revolution most of these core aspects of enlightenment were the basic foundation in achieving independence and the American constitution altogether. Fundamental aspects like natural rights, freedom of expression and the public view of the governmental organs came as a result of enlightenment. Locke, a renowned philosopher and other philosophers established the foundation for the colonial and the modern America. (Israel, 2011).

The American revolution was absolutely justified. A great way to justify any actions, is to take a look at the results that arose from those actions. America dignified freedom to the people that colonized it. When Great Britain attempted to suppress the colonists freedoms the colonialists only reacted.

The American Revolution as we know it did not have to happen. History is multifaceted, and the revolution is no exception to that rule, but while there is little doubt at some point a revolution would have occurred, why did we end up with the revolution we got? A broad host of factors contributed to our revolution, but ultimately it was the economic conditions of the time period, the political traditions of the soon to be American people, and the proto-foreign relations of the colonies that painted the picture that would become the American Revolution. The policies enacted by the British against the colonies after the French and Indian War infringed upon their strong independent spirit; while the colonists pulled one way, the British pulled the other, eventually backfiring and paving the way to revolution.