The American Revolution, French Revolution, and seventeenth-century English revolutions were similar in the aspects of governmental systems, influences from European philosophies and religion, and military forces. Alike in opposition, each revolution had a desire to revolt due to poor ruling monarchies and lack of progression. All their attempts to topple the monarch power were to establish a new governing system. While doing so, each revolution was influenced by the emerging philosophy of Europe, the Age of Enlightenment. The Age of Enlightenment brought to light on the importance of liberty and rights of common people.
Two particular enlightenment thinkers were Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Paine’s main focus in his works was that self-government is possible. He really spoke to the colonists in a way they could understand because he was just like them, meaning he was not well-educated but was able to express his thoughts in a persuasive way that impacted the colonists daily lives. The most important pamphlet he ever wrote was called Common Sense and was read by many people, and was even referenced at the Second Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by the ideas of the Enlightenment while he was writing the Declaration of Independence, along with many other of the Founding Fathers as well.
The Enlightenment gave way to new ideas about the natural born rights of citizens and equality, and fueled the concept of liberalism. In document four, The French Revolution by Albert Mathiez, the author stated that the Revolution was accomplished in men’s minds before it actually came to fruition. The ideas that helped the men accomplish this were the ideas of the Enlightenment, proving that this time period helped cause the French Revolution. Another main concept of the Enlightenment was the concept of immutable laws of nature, and in document six, Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution, these laws are used as evidence to support the idea that the Third Estate is everything. The belief that the Third Estate was a crucial part of the French society was what fueled the Revolution, furthering the idea that the Enlightenment helped lead to the French Revolution.
Our society would not be what it is today if it wasn't for the three French philosophers for the individual freedom, freedom in government, religion, economy, and gender equality. John Locke, Voltaire, and Adam Smith were four of the many great philosophers, who changed our society and the shaped the capitalistic democratic world that we live in today. These philosophers lived in a time of bright and amazing new ideas, known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. Here are the main ideas of Enlightenment. John Locke (1632-1704) was one of the three main French philosophers.
During the 18th Century, the Enlightenment was introduced in Europe. This new movement brought about modernization of thinking about government and individualism, and reevaluated previous beliefs. The Enlightenment had many new Philosophers who helped spread their views on government. Philosophers were similar in ideas about the rights of citizens and people’s choice of which government they want, however they differed on the reason government existed and governmental power. Overall, the ideas were a substantial departure from previous ideas about human equality, absolute rulers, and the court system.
Some of the thinkers talked about government, that wasn’t a monarchy. For example Montesquieu believed in separation of powers. Leading to the Constitution that included his ideas. Adam Smith's idea over government not messing with the free economy led to the Boston tea party. The revolution was a revolt between the colonies and Britain for independence.
Revolutions for Enlightenment During the eighteenth century, people were angry and miserable. They sought for alternatives in the way they were living, and how they existed in society. Many minority groups revolted against their governments or people of authority because they felt as if they were being treated unfairly. In other words, the government was not treating everyone as equals. Not everyone had the right to own property, vote, and some did not have the right to freedom of speech.
During the Enlightenment new ideas were created that greatly impacted society. The new ideas created during the Enlightenment impacted society so much that many of the ideas were utilized when forming the government of the United States. Three European men Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau each had their own unique views of what would be best for society. Each philosopher had ideas that would make today 's society more ideal and with hard work are possible to achieve.
In 1783, only six years before the French Revolution broke out, the Americans successfully rebelled against the English king. This proved that a revolution could actually happen and that rebelling against Louis XVI could have positive effects. The success of the American Revolution inspired them (Document 5). During the Enlightenment, major philosophers like John Locke emerged and questioned the role or power of the government. Born after the English Civil War, John Locke discussed how people had natural rights like life, liberty, and property, which needed to be protected by the government.
The Enlightenment, also known as the “Age of Reason,” occurred in the eighteenth century and was a period in which ideas concerning God, nature, reason and humanity were combined, and these ideas instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and politics. The Enlightenment was crucial in determining aspects in terms of politics, government, and religion. Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Charles Montesquieu influenced the Founding Fathers and their ideas were found in the Declaration of Independence. The most important influence that shaped the founding of the United States came from John Locke, an Englishmen who redefined the nature of government.
Different factors had a part to play in starting or even propelling ‘the Age of Enlightenment’, including the rule of the Church and State which experienced a power struggle among them, in addition to the Western discovery of latest societies with noticeably exclusive cultural traditions and norms. Many intellectuals felt unhappy with the fixed social styles amongst their very own collectives, and angry at their governments' refusal to provide non-public rights. The lasting political effect of the Enlightenment can't be overstated. At the least three fundamental political revolutions came about throughout this time period in Britain, America, and France.
The revolution radically changed how man viewed free thought. Throughout history most of the world had followed old beliefs, stuck in the ways of ancient times, individuals no longer developing their own ideas, or made decisions for themselves. People followed the long-standing orders of
The French Revolution all began after people in France decided it was time to fight for their rights and freedom and escape the tyranny that took place and give the people more power. At the time King Louis XVI was the French king and had power from 1774 to 1792 and was later executed in 1793. In France, the people were divided into three separate social estates, clergy, nobility, and the commoner as the lowest and the highest above all of course would be the king. The Enlightenment was a movement by intellectuals who promoted reason and science, and they began to question the system in place at the time in France and they began to spread revolutionary ideas that got people thinking about change. The “French Revolution was influenced by Enlightenment ideals” and when the ideas began to spread people were newly educated about something they never thought about, and after
The Enlightenment was a period of time that stressed the importance of reason and individual ideas. Many philosophers published works criticizing a country’s monarch or divulging the flaws they saw in a system within the government, such as the justice system. The Enlightenment also stressed the importance of education, and as a result of this, literacy rates experienced a major upward trend. Now able to read the philosopher’s works, a larger sum of people now were educated on the corruptions within their government. This caused a questioning of traditional practices, and people began to believe they could revise their government.
John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu were political philosophers that debated the question of who was best fit to control the government. Locke and Montesquieu shared similar political beliefs such as natural rights and the separation of government powers. However, both philosophers did, in fact, have their personal views that helped them accomplish important achievements. John Locke published “Two Treatises of Government” and “ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” which present a detail philosophy of the mind and thought. Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” lays out his philosophical project.
