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Differences Between The Enlightenment And The Great Awakening

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Since the beginning of English colonization in North America, the colonists gradually adopted a more individualistic attitude towards England. The colonists began to view themselves as separate from Britain and felt victimized when they enforced numerous “policies” on the colonists. During the period from 1607 to 1745, the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening provided several boosts to the colony’s transition towards a democratic government. The Enlightenment helped the colonists to believe that they had natural rights and led to the challenging of British rule. The Great Awakening was a movement in the colonies that also contributed to the development of rebellious thoughts regarding the British and a desire for independence.

Both the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening assisted the colonists in realizing that they were born with rights. If those rights were being trampled on, then they were justified in defending themselves. This is definitely true in the case of the colonists versus England. John Locke was one of the main philosophers spreading the idea of natural rights. His ideas were even represented in the Declaration of Independence, a true example of the …show more content…

Now that they knew that they could overthrow the British government, the next gigantic leap would be to take their thoughts and put them into action. The colonists were developing their own idea as to how a government should be run. Several Enlightenment philosophers (Baron de Montesquieu, Jean Rousseau, and Cesare Beccaria) and Great Awakening thinkers (George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards) contributed their beliefs on how a government should function. Their ideas were mixed together to form the colonist’s definition of government. In their opinion, a government represented an agreement between the people and their ruler. It should do what is best for the greater good , as stated by Cesare

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