~Chapter 18~
The Enlightenment &
American Revolution
1707-1800
By: Katya Joseph
Philosophy in the Age of
Reason
 The Scientific Revolution of the 15 and 1600’s had transformed the way people in Europe
looked at the world. It led to another revolution in thinking: the Enlightenment.
 Through the use of reason, Enlightenment thinkers, people and governments could solve
every social, political, and economic problem.
 Natural Law- rule or law that governs human nature
 In the 1600’s, two men set forth ideas that would become key to the enlightenment:
Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke.
 Thomas Hobbes wrote “Leviathan”. He believed that all people are naturally selfish,
greedy, and immoral. If not strictly controlled, they would do anything to satisfy their
desires. To escape that barbaric lifestyle, he said people entered a:
 Social Contract- an agreement by which they gave up the state of the nature for an
organized society. Hobbes supported the absolute monarchy.
 John Locke wrote “Two Treaties of Government”. He felt that people are naturally good
inside. He felt that humans also had:
 Natural Rights- rights that belonged to all humans from birth. (The right to life, liberty and
property). He felt that the government has an obligation to the people it governs. He
supported parliament.
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 Denis Diderot produced a 28-volume
Encyclopedia.
In France, an influential thinker, Baron
Montesquieu wrote “The Spirit of the Law”. The Enlightenment slogan, “free and equal”
He believed that there should be three
did not apply to women. Mid 1700’s, a
branches of government: legislative,
small but growing number of women
executive, and judicial. He thinks of checks
protested this view.
and balances, and wanted to build a world  Their arguments, however, were ridiculed
where no one man had all the power.
and sharply condemned. Mary Wollonscraft
Philosophes- lovers of wisdom- group of
agreed that women had a first duty, but also
Enlightenment thinkers (in France) who
felt that women should decide what is in
applied to the methods of science to better
her own interests.
understand and improve society.
 Physiocrats- thinkers who searched for
Francois-Marie Arouet, a.k.a Voltaire,
natural rights to explain economics. This
targeted corrupt officials and idle
group of people urged the policy of:
aristocrats. He wrote about inequality,
 Laissez Faire- allowing businesses to run
injustice and superstition.
with little or no government interference.
Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote “The Social  Adam Smith wrote “The Wealth of
Contract”. He felt that in order for a society
Nations”. He believed that the government
to function, individuals had to give up
should not get involved in personal
certain rights. He also believed that people
business. He also believed that that prices
are naturally good but society corrupts them. should be regulated by free market
He supported a limited government/
democracy.
Enlightenment Ideas Spread
 Enlightenment ideas spread across
Europe and prompted some rulers to
make reforms.
 The Church felt they had a duty to
defend the old order set up by God. They
waged a war of:
 Censorship- restricting ideas and
information. They banned and burned
books, and imprisoned writers.
 Philosophes sometimes disguised their
ideas in works of fiction.
 New literature, the arts, science, and
philosophy were regular topics of
discussion at:
 Salons- informal social gatherings at
which writers, artists, philosophes, and
other exchanged ideas.
 As ideas spread, some monarchs did
accept Enlightenment teachings. They
became:
 Enlightened Despots- absolute rulers
who used their power to bring about
political and social change.
 Frederick II, Catherine II, and Joseph II
admired Enlightenment thinkers and
directed many reforms over their
empires.
 But unlike the two other despots, Joseph
II didn’t rationalize or contribute in
order for personal gain. He went great
lengths to improve the lives of his
people.
New styles or art also came out during
the Enlightenment:
 Baroque- ornate style of art and
architecture
 Rococo- personal elegant style of
art. Featured fancy designs in shapes
of leaves, shells, and scrolls.
 New kinds of musical entertainment
evolved: ballets and operas; plays to
music
 Johann Sebastian Bach and George
Frederick Handel became towering
musical figures. In 1762. Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart burst onto the
European scene.
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Britain at Mid-Century
 Britain’s island location, colonial possessions, and powerful navy contributed to its rise to
world power.
 In the century following the Glorious Revolution, there were three new political parties, the
cabinet, and the office prime minister. The appearance of these institutions was part of the
evolution of Britain’s new:
 Constitutional Government- a government whose power is defined and limited by law.
 Two political parties emerged during the 1600’s; the Whigs and the Tories. The Tories
were generally landed aristocrats who sought to preserve all traditions. The Whigs backed
of the Glorious Revolution. They reflected urban business interests, supported religious
toleration, and favored Parliament over the crown.
 When George I, German Protestant prince, inherited the thrown, he didn’t speak any
English. He expected the Parliament to help rule. George I and George II had a handful of
help who set up policies. They were called:
 Cabinet- parliamentary advisors to the king who originally met in a small room or
‘cabinet’. Head of the cabinet was the prime minister.
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Whig leader, Robert Warpole molded the cabinet into a unified body, requiring all
members to agree on major issues.
British government was a:
Oligarchy- a government in which the ruling power belongs to a few people.
Landowning aristocrats were seen as the natural ruling class. The highest nobles held
seats in the House of Lords. Other wealthy landowners and rich business leaders in the
cities controlled elections in the House of Commons. The right to vote was limited to a
relatively few male property owners.
In 1760, George III began a 60-year reign. He felt the need reassert royal power.After
the Seven Years’ War, George decided that English colonists in North America must pay
the costs of their own defense. In 1775, these and other conflicts started the American
Revolution which ended in a loss for Britain.
Cabinet ruled was restored in 1788
Birth of the American Republic
 Colonial opposition to British trade and tax
policies led to independence and the founding of
the United States of America.
 By 1750, Britain owned a string of 13 colonies
stretched along the eastern coast of North
America.
 In 1763, relations between Britain and the 13
colonies grew strained. Past wars had drained
December 1773, a handful of colonists
the British treasury.
 Parliament began to enforce long neglected laws, hurled a cargo of recently arrived British
tea into the harbor. It became known as
and raised taxes paid by colonists.
 “No taxation without Representation!” Colonists the “Boston Tea Party”.
As tensions increased, fighting spread,
felt that this was unfair because they felt they
had no one representing them in Parliament.
representatives from each colony
 In 1770, British soldiers in Boston opened fire gathered in Philadelphia. George
on a crowd that was pelting them with stones.
Washington was among the members of
Colonists called the death of 5 citizens the
the gatherings.
“Boston Massacre”.
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The Congress set up a Continental Army.
April 1775, the crises exploded into war.
In 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Britain.
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. The
Declaration emphasized the principle of:
Popular Sovereignty- states that all government power comes from the people.
July 4th, 1776, American leaders adopted the Declaration.
At first, the American cause looked bleak. The British has professional soldiers, a huge
fleet, and plentiful money. Also one-third of the colonists were:
Loyalists- supporters of the Britain Government.
Colonists did have some advantages; they were fighting on their own soil, for their farms
and towns.
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson
between June 11 and June 28, 1776,
the Declaration of Independence is
at once the nation's most cherished
symbol of liberty and Jefferson's
most enduring monument. Here, in
exalted and unforgettable phrases,
Jefferson expressed the convictions
in the minds and hearts of the
American people. The political
philosophy of the Declaration was
not new; its ideals of individual
liberty had already been expressed
by John Locke and the Continental
philosophers. What Jefferson did
was to summarize this philosophy
in "self-evident truths" and set forth
a list of grievances against the King
in order to justify before the world
the breaking of ties between the
colonies and the mother country.
(http://www.archives.gov/nationalarchivesexperience/charters/declaration_zoom_2
.html)
 1777, Americans triumphed over the
British at the Battle of Saratoga. This
victory persuaded France to join
Americans against its old rival.
 In 1781, with the help of France, the
British army surrendered in Virginia.
Diplomats of France, America, and
Britain signed the Treaty of Paris.
 At the meetings in Philadelphia, the
Constitution of the U.S was
hammered out. It created a:
 Federal republic-government in
which power divided between the
national, or federal, government and
the states.
A central feature of the federal
government was the separation of
powers; legislative, executive, and
judicial government borrowed
directly from Montesquieu.
The first ten amendments of the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
recognized the idea that people had
basic rights.
Though the Constitution had many
limitations, it created the most
progressive government of its day.
Game Time
Take out a pen and paper. Lets put what
you’ve learned to test!
Question 1
Speaker A: Good government stresses the
importance of the nation and accepts the rights of Which speaker’s statement best
reflects the ideas of the
the individual only if the interests of the individual
Enlightenment?
are the same as those of the nation.
Speaker B: The person of the king is sacred and to
1. A
attack him in any way is to attack religion itself.
The respect given to a king is religious in nature.
Speaker C: All human beings are born free and
equal with a right to life and liberty. It is the duty
2. B
of government to protect these natural rights of its
citizens.
Speaker D: Our goal will not be achieved by
3. C
democracy or liberal reforms, but by blood and
iron. Only then will we be successful. No nation
achieves greatness or unity without the traumatic
4. D
experiences of war.
Question1
The correct answer is C. The natural rights retained
by citizens was a major theme of the Enlightenment
and was endorsed by Thomas Locke in his Two
Treatises of Government (1690), and Jean-Jaques
Rousseau in his Social Contract.
Question 2
Writers of the Enlightenment
were primarily interested in
1. changing the relationship
between people and their
government
2. supporting the divine right theory
3. debating the role of the church in
society
4. promoting increased power for
European monarchs
Question 2
The correct answer is 1. In direct opposition to the
theory of divine right, Enlightenment philosophers
often wrote of the social contract, in which rulers
must protect the rights of their citizens, and citizens
have the right to replace rulers who do not protect
their rights.
Question 3
A major concept promoted by philosophers of
the Enlightenment was the need for
1. a return to traditional medieval ideas
2. the use of reason for rational and logical
thinking
3. overseas expansion by western European
nations
4. strengthening the power of the organized
religions
Question 3
The correct answer is 2. Enlightenment philosophers
rejected traditional church teachings and promoted
the idea that man should use logic and reason to
define the world around him. This led to changes in
government and society.
Question 4
 John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau would be most
likely to support:
1.
2.
3.
4.
a return to feudalism in Europe
a government ruled by a divine right monarchy
a society ruled by the Catholic Church
a society in which the people chose the ruler
Question 4
 The Correct Answer is 4. Locke and Rousseau’s
ideas from the Enlightenment formed the basis of
modern democracy.
Question 5
According to the Declaration of Independence, the people
have the right to alter or abolish a government if
that government
1.
2.
3.
4.
is a limited monarchy
violates natural rights
becomes involved in entangling alliances
favors one religion over another
Question 5
The Correct Answer is 2.The writings of John
Locke and other authors of the Enlightenment
expressed the idea of “The Consent of the
Governed”. Rousseau also maintained that a
“Social Contract” existed between government
and the governed and when government failed to
protect rights, a revolution was in order.
So Lets See How You Did!
5/5~ Seems like you know your History!
4/5~ Not bad at all, Nice job!
3/4~ Well, not horrible but looking over
a few things wouldn’t be so bad
2/5~ Did you really even read the
presentation?
1/5~ NEXT TIME START AT PAGE 1!
Chapter 18
Mr. Hernandez
Period: A/1
Katya Joseph
Ch. 18
4th Quarter Project
Due May 7th