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How Did John Locke Contribute To The Enlightenment

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During a time period called the Enlightenment, America underwent major philosophical changes. New ideas from several different brilliant people spread across the newly discovered land causing people’s way of thinking to alter. This time meant transformation for America. John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison all executed their ideas successfully which makes them some of the most vital people in the Enlightenment of America. The Enlightenment was a theoretical movement which brought forth an abundance of new ideas in America. It was a time of evolution in the New World in effort to distant themselves from the rulings of Great Brittan. This movement consisted of ideas from multiple profound individuals. These …show more content…

His ideas greatly contributed to the Enlightenment in the United States. Locke argued for rights to life and possessions/property, freedom of religion and liberty. Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, fully supported Locke’s notions and philosophies. John Locke’s ideas became the groundwork for numbers of governments across the world, including America, and provided a numerous amount of people with liberty and freedom. Benjamin Franklin, Found Father and full supporter of John Locke, was a politician, diplomat, statesmen, scientist and an author. Benjamin Franklin played a major role in the American Enlightenment through his scientific discoveries and ideas of republicanism. His ideas helped to develop new concepts and views in the science and political world, in turn, giving America the advancement it needed. Thomas Jefferson, another Founding Father of America, was the sole write of the Declaration of Independence. In this vital piece of American history, Jefferson composed his ideas of parity and liberty. Thomas Jefferson also promoted religious tolerance, equality and the ideas of abolishing slavery. His ideas significantly contributed to the American Enlightenment because for the first time in American history, we had freedom and liberty. Jefferson wrote the ground-works for our

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Jefferson 's contributions to the develpoment of democracy in the United States was unmatched by anyone. He wrote the document the founded our nations freedom and independence. " He was one of the two or three key philosophical thinkers of his time that laid the ideological foundation of America"(Jacobson). His ideas and philosophies are what shaped our country into what it is today. He was also a large supporter of the spread of knowledge. "

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Thomas Jefferson had an enormous impact on the American society. He influenced America to unite as one nation. He shaped a strong central government and had a judicial exceed. If he hadn’t shaped a strong government maybe we wouldn’t have the rights we have today. He proceeded by doing this by influencing the constitution.

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Born in 1706 as the eighth of 17 children to a Massachusetts soap and candlestick maker, the chances Benjamin Franklin would go on to become a gentleman, scholar, scientist, statesman, musician, author, publisher and all-around general genius were astronomically low, yet he did just that. Franklin wrote in the Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual revolution in the 18th century. The ideals of the enlightenment are still thought of today, as they are a part of the United States’ Declaration of Independence and Constitution. When one remembers Benjamin Franklin very few people are aware of the fact that he worked as a printer until the age of 42. As a printer he had access to substantial amounts of literature.

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Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. President was a leading figure in America's early development. Jefferson was born on April 13, 1743, at Shadwell, a plantation on a large tract of land near present-day Charlottesville, Virginia. When he grew up he became an Democratic-Republican, opposing a strong central government and wanting to give the states more individual freedoms. Through his work in the Declaration of Independence he promoted personal freedom. Jefferson used his presidential powers to build economic stability, start the their of the emancipation of slaves, and write Americans freedom.

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In my opinion, the Declaration of Independence was his most important contribution to America. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson began drafting the Declaration of Independence at only thirty-three years old in hopes of breaking away from the control of Great Britain. If the Declaration of Independence was never written, then the United States would not be free from Great Britain today. When the Declaration of Independence was written, the United States began to see themselves as their own nation. Thomas Jefferson provided a few main points for the Declaration of Independence.

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The ideas of the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution and the formation of the American Government. Firstly, The Enlightenment was a philosophical evolution that emphasized the aged ideas of the Greeks and Romans. In addition, the major philosophers of this time period were Voltaire, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Rousseau, Adam Smith and Isaac Newton. Their ideals include having an absolute monarch as a government (T.H), the separation of powers (Mont.), the government should not interfere with a free market economy (A.S), the freedom of speech (Volt.), the government could be overruled (J.L), and the government should rule according to the will of the people. Nevertheless, these ideals are important because they shaped the government that we have today.

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Locke was born on the 29th of August, 1632, in a small thatched cottage by the church in Wrington, Somerset, about twelve miles from Bristol. He grew up to be an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. Locke’s political theory on human nature impacted the government and the nation. He believed that in a natural state all people were equal and independent, and everyone had a natural right to defend their ‘life, liberty, and possessions’. Being born in a small thatched in Wrington, Somerset, Locke’s family soon moved to the market town of Pensford, about seven miles south of Bristol, where he grew up in a rural Tudor house in Belluton.

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Thomas Jefferson stressed that liberty and equality were natural human right and that every one deserves them (“Philosophy & Philosophers.” Philosophy & Philosophers, www.the-philosophy.com/). Montesquieu was also very influential he was guided by a respect for the human person and the dedication to political and liberty of modern political views to move forward (“Philosophy & Philosophers.” Philosophy & Philosophers, www.the-philosophy.com/). Today's government would be dramatically different if it was not for these and enlightenment.

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Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, a device used to sum up “the grievances and justifications of the American colonists,” (Goldfield et al, 142) for all those whom it concerned. The Declaration of Independence was based off of his essay “Contract theory of Government.” Jefferson claimed to believe that all men were equal. However, many people were excluded from participation in government during the 18th century. Thomas Jefferson also made contributions to the Ordinance of 1784.

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At the start of the 18th century, the beginning of the Enlightenment was upon America. There were many factors and people who help play a part in the Enlightenment or, in other words, the Age of Reason, some of the people that assisted the enlightenment was Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, and John Adam. Each of the philosophers demonstrates the fundamental idea of the Enlightenment like liberalism, rationalism, conservatism, toleration and scientific progress. Even though each person played an important part, the most influences person that was involved was Benjamin Franklin. Throughout Benjamin Franklin`s life, he demonstrates through his action and writing that he was the epitome of the Enlightenment by showing that he was

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He believed that people should be able to overthrow their leader if they were not happy and that is exactly what the colonists did. After the American Revolution was won the Declaration of Independence was then formed after multiple drafts. This document demonstrated Locke’s philosophy that all men were born equal with the natural right of life, liberty, and property. The Declaration of Independence was highly influenced by Locke’s ideas and if he was alive to be able to see the outcome, he would be very pleased to say the

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Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the U.S.A, was an advocate for democracy, equality, and a minimalist government. In 1800 he was elected president, he did many great things for America,

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Have you ever read the most important document in our nation’s history, the Declaration of Independence. This salient document that set the US apart from Britain was written by none other than Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was America’s third president, and was also the First Secretary of State. Thomas Jefferson also founded the University of Virginia. Jefferson was famous because of three main things in his life, his background, his beliefs and ideas, and his modern day significance.

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John Locke was known as the Father of Liberalism. This philosophy embraced the concept of limiting government and the rights of individuals. ("Classical Liberalism", n.d ) Prior to Locke there was a belief that rulers were picked by God. He introduces the concept of voting.

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“The Guy Who Invented America & His Contributions” John Locke was a 1700 century English political theorist. His political works were used for the basics of the declaration on independence. He was basically swindled for them. This key incitement thinker’s main beliefs were that people had no human nature, were authors of their own character and w3ere all created equal. The 3 main contributions Locke made were in Epistemology, Political Philosophy, and religious toleration.

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