Chapter 2: The Enlightenment & the American Revolution
Section 1: Philosophy in the Age of
Reason
I.
Scientific Revolution Sparks the
Enlightenment
A.
Scientific Revolution changed the way
Europeans looked at the world
B.
Natural law—rules discoverable by
reason, govern scientific forces such
as gravity and magnetism
C.
Enlightenment—revolution in thinking;
1st described in The Critique of Pure
Reason by Emmanuel Kant (German)
Hobbes & Locke Have Conflicting Views
A. Thomas Hobbes—17th century English thinker,
wrote Leviathan, which says:
1.
people were naturally cruel, greedy, and
selfish
2.
if not controlled, they would fight, rob, and
oppress one another
3.
life in “state of nature” (w/o laws or control)
would be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and
short”
4.
to escape “brutish” life, people entered into
social contract (an agreement where you
give up your freedom for an organized
society)
5.
believed in absolute monarchy as solution
II.
B. John Locke—17th century English thinker,
wrote Two Treatise of Government which
says:
1.
people are basically reasonable and moral
2.
had rights that belonged to all humans
from birth (life, liberty, property)
3.
people formed gov’ts to protect natural
rights
4.
against absolute monarchy; believed in
gov’t w/ limited power & citizens must
accept
5.
people have right to overthrow gov’t if
they violate people’s natural rights (radical
idea)
The Philosophes
A.
in the 1700s, thinkers from France
applied methods of science to
understand and improve society
B.
these philosophers were called
philosophes meaning philosophers
C.
Baron de Montesquieu wrote The Spirit
of the Laws, which states:
1.
the best way to protect liberty was to
divide powers of gov’t to 3 branches:
a.
legislative
b.
executive
c.
Judicial
led to the idea of checks and balances
III.
D.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Francois-Marie Arouet (Voltaire)—
defended the principle of freedom of
speech
exposed the wrongs of his time
targeted corrupt officials and
aristocrats
wrote about inequality, injustice, and
superstition
hated the slave trade and religious
prejudice
offended French gov’t and Catholic
Church
was imprisoned and forced into exiled
Denis Diderot—created a 28-volume set
of books called the Encyclopedia
1.
explained ideas on gov’t, philosophy, and
religion
2.
included articles from leading thinkers
including Montesquieu and Voltaire
3.
denounced slavery, praised freedom of
expression, and urged education for all
4.
attacked divine-right theory and
traditional religions
sold 4,000 copies from 1751-1789 despite
threats from French gov’t and Roman
Catholic Church and Pope
E.
F.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau—wrote The
Social Contract, 1762
believed people were basically good,
but corrupted by evils in society,
especially unequal distribution of land
felt society placed too many limitations
on people’s behavior
believed some controls were
necessary, but only by elected gov’ts
hated all forms of economic and
political oppression
G.
H.
1.
2.
I.
Enlightenment slogan “free and
equal” did not apply to women
Mary Wollstonecraft—wrote A
Vindication of the Rights of Women,
1792
called for equal education for girls
and boys
only education could give women
tools to participate equally
physiocrats focused on economic
reforms based on natural laws of
economic
J.
K.
L.
1.
2.
3.
physiocrats rejected mercantilism, which
required gov’t regulation of the economy to
achieve a favorable balance of trade
they favored laissez faire—allowed business
to operate w/ little or no gov’t interference
Adam Smith—wrote The Wealth of Nations
argued that free market should be allowed
to regulate business activity
tried to show how manufacturing, trade,
wages, profit, and economic growth were all
linked to supply and demand (market
forces)
felt that gov’t had a duty to protect society,
administer justice, and provide public works
Section 2: Enlightenment Ideas Spread
I.
New Ideas Challenge Society
A.
as more ideas spread, people saw that
change was needed for a just society
B.
a just society should guarantee social
justice and happiness
C.
war of censorship—gov’t and church
authorities restricted access of ideas and
info. (banned and burned books and
imprisoned writers)
D.
as a response, philosophes and writers
disguised their ideas in works of fiction:
1.
Montesquieu wrote Persian Letters
2.
Voltaire wrote Candide
E.
II.
A.
B.
C.
D.
discussion in salons—informal social
gatherings where people exchanged
ideas
Arts & Literature Reflect New Ideas
baroque—grand or detailed style of
art and architecture
rococo—lighter, elegant, & charming
new Enlightenment led to new forms
of music (Bach, Handel, Mozart)
Literature developed new forms
(prose fiction—Robinson Crusoe)
III.
A.
B.



Enlightened Despots Embrace New
Ideas
enlightened despots—absolute rulers
who used their power to bring about
political and social change
Frederick the Great (Frederick II)—
king of Prussia from 1740-1786
wanted to make Prussian gov’t more
efficient
invited French thinkers and had
religious freedom
desired stronger monarchy and more
power for himself
C.



D.



Catherine the Great (Catherine II)—
empress of Russia
believed in Enlightenment ideas of equality
and liberty
abolished torture and est. religious freedom
expanded Russian empire w/o giving up
power
Joseph II—Austrian king; the most radical
of enlightened despots
supported religious equality
allowed free press
tried to bring Catholic Church under royal
control
IV.
A.
B.
C.
Lives of the Majority Change Slowly
change for peasants and small rural
villages were very slow in Europe
by the 1700s, radical ideas enter
peasant villages
in the 1800s, war, political confusion,
and economic conditions change
peasant life in Europe
Section 3: Birth of the American
Republic
I.
Britain Becomes a Global Power
A.
4 reasons Britain was the most
powerful empire:
1.
location helped control trade w/
outposts
2.
England ready for commerce and
business and placed fewer restrictions
3.
Britain won most of the wars in the
1700s and gain lots of territory from
other European countries and became
very rich
4.
B.
II.
A.
B.
C.
D.
England became bigger to form United
Kingdom of Great Britain, 1707—created
larger markets for trade
George III ruled for 60 years, but many of
his policies were bad
The 13 Colonies in the Mid-1700s
in 1750s, Britain controlled 13 prosperous
colonies which were centers of trade
in the 1600s, Parliament passed the
Navigation Acts to regulate trade, because
the colonies were trading (exporting) more
than they were buying (importing)
by the mid-1700s, the colonies were
religiously and ethnically diverse
Wealthy merchants and landowners
controlled gov’t and society, but colonists
wanted rights like English citizens
III.
A.
B.
C.
1.
2.
D.
Colonists Expressed Discontent
British Parliament passed Sugar Act
(1764) & Stamp Act (1765) to help
repay war debts
American colonists protested saying
“no taxation without representation”
colonists rebel against Britain
Boston Massacre (1770)
Boston Tea Party (1773)
representatives from each colony met
in Philadelphia—Continental
Congress—to decide how to respond
(Adams, Washington)
E.
F.
G.
H.
1.
2.
in April 1775, Revolutionary War
(American Revolution) began
George Washington led the Continental
Army
in 1776, the Second Continental
Congress met & voted for
independence from Britain
Thomas Jefferson wrote Declaration of
Independence (1776), which included:
Locke’s idea of ”life, liberty, and
property”
Locke’s idea of “to alter or abolish”
unjust gov’ts
3.
IV.
A.
B.
C.
popular sovereignty--all gov’t power
comes from the people
The American Revolution Continues
Battle of Saratoga (1777)—1st
American victory (France,
Netherlands, and Spain support)
British Army surrenders at Yorktown,
Virginia ending the war
Treaty of Paris (1783) officially ends
the war and declares USA
independent
V.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
A New Constitution
Articles of Confederation—nation’s 1st
constitution
Second Continental Congress met in 1787
with 50 reps. (Framers) to write the new
constitution
The constitution created a federal
republic—power divided between federal
(nat’l) gov’t and states (also created 3
branches--Montesquieu)
Bill of Rights—1st ten amendments
Enlightenment ideas brought about U.S.
constitution, which inspired many countries
in Europe and Latin America