Chapter 10
Revolution and Enlightenment
Section 1: The Scientific Revolution
• Sometimes called the Age of Reason
• Causes:
– Expansion of trade led to navigational and sea
voyage problems (e.g.: correctly calculating the
amount of weight ships could hold)
– New inventions (telescope and microscope) made
new scientific discoveries possible
– Study of mathematics promoted during the
Renaissance
– Development of the printing press
• Science
– Prior to the SR, people
believed that the earth
was the center of the
universe (geocentric
theory/Ptolemaic
system)
• Several scientists’ work would prove that the sun was the
center of the universe (heliocentric theory)
– Nicholas Copernicus: wrote On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres supporting the heliocentric theory
– Johannes Kepler: proposed that the planets’ orbital paths
were elliptical – called Kepler’s First Law
– Galileo: using a telescope, he saw mountains on the
Moon, moons revolving around Jupiter, and sunspots –
published his discoveries
• Considered the greatest genius of the
Scientific Revolution, Sir Isaac Newton was
able to tie the theories of the previous
mathematicians together.
– He published his work in
Mathematical Principles of Natural
Philosophy.
– He defined the three laws of motion
as well as the universal law of
gravitation.
• Medicine and Chemistry
– Andreas Vesalius dissected human bodies while
working as a professor of surgery. He published
his findings in his book, On the Fabric of the
Human Body.
• Prior to the SR, knowledge of the human body
was based on the work of Galen, a Greek
physician, that dissected animals.
– William Harvey
published his book
On the Motion of
the Heart and
Blood
• Chemistry
– Robert Boyle conducted experiments on the
properties of gases, which led to Boyle’s Law
– Antoine Lavoisier developed a system of naming
the chemical elements that still exists today.
Considered the founder of modern chemistry.
• Astronomy
– Maria Winkelmann made some original
contributions, including the discovery of a comet.
• She would eventually apply for a position of assistant
astronomer at the Berlin Academy but was denied
because she was a woman.
• Scientific Method
– Francis Bacon developed
the Scientific Method.
• He was a philosopher, not
a scientist. He believed
that people should use
systematic observations
and carefully organized
experiments to answer a
problem. This led to the
SM.
** End of Notes**
Section 2: The Enlightenment
• The Enlightenment was:
– a philosophical movement led by intellectuals.
– a result of the achievements of the Scientific
Revolution.
– an aim to make a better society by using the
scientific method.
– was influenced by the ideas of two individuals, Sir
Isaac Newton and John Locke.
• John Locke believed
that people were
molded by their
experiences from the
surrounding
environment. With the
right influences and
experiences, people
could be changed and a
new society created.
• Intellectuals of the Enlightenment were called
philosophes (French for philosophers).
• The 3 main philosophes of the Enlightenment
were:
– Montesquieu
– Voltaire
– Diderot
• Montesquieu studied
different governments
and identified three
basic types:
– Republic
– Despotism
– Monarchies
• While studying England’s government, he
determined that it had three separate
branches:
– Executive (the monarch)
– Legislative (parliament)
– Judicial (the courts)
• The government functioned through a
separation of powers which limited the
control of each branch.
• Voltaire wrote an enormous amount of
pamphlets, novels, plays, letters, and essays
which brought him fame and fortune.
– He criticized Christianity and had a strong belief in
religious toleration.
– He supported deism which was the belief that
God created the world but has since left it to be
governed by its own natural laws.
• Diderot wrote the
Encyclopedia, which was his
greatest contribution to the
Enlightenment. It’s purpose
was to change the general
way of thinking. It was sold
to doctors, clergymen,
teachers, and lawyers which
spread the ideas of the
Enlightenment.
• Other individuals that had an impact on the
Enlightenment period
– Adam Smith - supported the idea of laissez-faire which
states that the government should intervene as little as
possible in the economic affairs of the country
– Jean-Jacques Rousseau – wrote the Social Contract; he
believed a society agrees to be governed by its general will
– Mary Wollstonecraft – supported equal rights for women
since the ideal of reason was for all humans
** End of notes**
• Column Headings
– Philosophes
– Government
– Society
Philosophes
Baron de
Montesquieu
• Rows
– 1) Baron de
Montesquieu
– 2) Adam Smith
– 3) Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
– 4) John Locke
* Write each person’s
essential ideas about
government and society.
Adam Smith
Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
Mary
Wollstonecraft
Government
Society
Section 3: The Impact of the
Enlightenment
• The ideas of the Enlightenment had an impact
on art, music, & literature!
• Literature became popular among the growing
middle-class readers.
• Some Absolute Rulers appeared to embrace
Enlightenment principles but RARELY applied
them to their kingdom or people!
Section 4: Colonial Empires and the
American Revolution
– Brought about profit for Europe
• Supply of gold and silver
• Trade of sugar, tobacco, diamonds, and animal hides
• In North America
– Merchants in the growing trade cities did not want
the British government to interfere with their
affairs.
– Britain was taxing the colonies to build a revenue
to cover the money lost during the Seven Years
War
• Issued the Stamp Act which taxed published documents
and newspapers
• The colonies organized the counteract the
British actions.
– First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in
1774
– Fighting broke out in April of 1775 in Lexington
and Concord
• Second Continental Congress meets to form an army
called the Continental Army, with George Washington
as commander
• On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental
Congress approved the Declaration of
Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson.
(It was based on the ideas of John Locke)
• The Treaty of Paris of 1783 officially
recognized the independence of the American
colonies.
• America’s first constitution was the Articles of
Confederation.
– Did not create a strong central government, thus
failing as a constitution.
• In 1787, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia to
revise the Articles.
– Meeting known as the Constitutional Convention
• The Constitution created a federal system –
power would be shared between the national
government and the state governments.
– Federal government – levy taxes, raise an army,
regulate trade, and create a national currency.
• The Bill of Rights were added in 1789.
– Guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, press,
petition, assembly, right to bear arms, protection
from unreasonable searches and arrests, trial by
jury, due process, and protection of property.