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How Did The American Revolution Implement Dangerous Enlightenment

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Historians have argued whether the American Revolution was a conservative attempt to protect the colonist’s traditional rights as Englishmen or a radical attempt to implement dangerous enlightenment ideas. I believe that the American Revolution was a radical attempt to implement dangerous enlightenment ideas. Colonists new government, their acts of treason and new identity were mostly based on enlightenment ideas.
Colonial leaders used Enlightenment ideas to vindicate freedom from Britain(Fiore Notes).
The Declaration of Independence was firmly based on the ideas of John Locke. The document stated,“that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and …show more content…

The policy required all imports to be carried in English ships which meant they could only trade with England. by trading with France and Spain (Kagan 427)). Parliament was very much aware of this and the current prime minister, Robert Walpole, would say “Let sleeping dogs lie” (Kagan, 487). This meant he wanted to pursue peace abroad and supported the status quo at home (Kagan, 487). However, when George Grenville became prime minister he attempted to re-establish the policy, but colonists still continued to trade (Fiore Notes). “The colonists had asked for the same political rights as people in Britain, they said, but the king had stubbornly refused. Therefore, the colonists were justified in rebelling against a tyrant who had broken the social contract.” (Beck 641). According to John Locke, if a government fails to protect people 's rights: liberty, property, and life, citizens would have the right to rebel (Fiore notes). George III and the British parliament were attacking their liberties. Consequently, the colonists employed a theory that had developed to justify an aristocratic rebellion (Kagan

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(a) One of the most significant cause of American values leading to the Revolution was the ideas of the Enlightenment, which helped lead to the American independence. One of the major ideas of the Enlightenment, which lead to the American Revolution was that people should not believe in something just because that was how things had always been. The Enlightenment encouraged Americans to reject the ideas of monarchy and the ideas of the Enlightenment helped give Americans the idea that they should become independent. (b) The colonists were paying taxes and debts for goods and these taxes such as; the Stamp Tax and the Tea Act, were seen as completely unnecessary. The American colonists were treated unfairly, they didn't have their rights, therefore,

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The Revolution of the 13 Colonies of America was truly revolutionary. A lot of change was brought about for the everyday lives of all kinds of the people. On document two, when talking of government and politics, the idea that government exists to help the people and that the government should get their power from the people that are affected by these laws and rules has never been considered. In all other countries at the time, including Britain, political power is instituted by blood.

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But the colonists were still justified to rebel against Britain . The colonies were getting larger and had experience to become their own country. So they deserved to have more control over their own government than what was given to them. Under the British control they had no independence or freedom.

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Imports of lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea were taxed; the British government wanted the colonists to pay so they created punishments for colonists who

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Locke’s justification of revolt, based off of the theory of natural rights, was what gave Thomas Jefferson the background in writing The Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence from the declaration written by John

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The Declaration of Independence, penned and published on July 4th 1776, is perhaps the most famous document in the short history of human rights. Written largely by Thomas Jefferson, it is the first succinct, unashamedly loud declaration of the equal rights of man. The Declaration took the philosophy of men like Hobbes and Locke and put it into practice, deciding that the “self-evident” rights of man could no longer be abused by tyrannical government. The Declaration affirms that the rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” were written “Laws of Nature” that every man should be afforded equally and without limitations. It also declares that the oppression of rights is wrong and tyrannical.

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When looking at the social and political changes that took place during the early American colonies you can see a steady progression towards ideologies that would lead to the Revolution. When you have different levels of government being put in place by the states depending upon their needs, where rural areas had different court systems than more urban areas, you see a level of independence for governance that the colonists began to see the benefit of having, separate from the rule of the Crown. To counter this increase in independence. the Crown implemented ever changing political positions that could be assigned to those who were loyal to the Crown and the social hierarchy that was prevalent in Britain at the time. These actions of corruption

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In the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson, he included the theory made by John Locke that all people had natural rights. The idea of individualism grew In the 17th century, the natural law doctrines were being modified to strain the fact that an individual is a natural being who have rights that shouldn't be violated by or taken away by anyone. John Locke influenced the idea of self government. Self government is a system in which citizens within a country rule themselves and control their own affairs. John Locke said that monarchs

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Similarly, the Declaration of Independence by Jefferson proclaimed that all men are created equal and entitled to certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Both men recognized that without freedom and equality, individuals are unable to fully participate in society and achieve their full potential. In “The Declaration of Independence,” Jefferson writes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable

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The Declaration of Independence is a document drafted in 1776 by the Founding Fathers. The document lays out the reason for their separation from the British Empire as well as expresses the core values of liberty, equality, and justice, which are central tenets of the Enlightenment. These ideals are based on the recognition of the dignity and rights of all individuals. Through this document, the Founding Fathers sought to uphold the values of reason, truth, and progress to establish a free and just society.

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On the other hand the British deprived the colonists of even the most basic of rights. The American Revolution was more about Civil Liberties because there are three main arguments that support it: Taxation without Representation, the Quartering Act, and the Intolerable (Coercive) Acts. These actions that the British did justified the colonists’ revolution. First of all, one civil liberty that was exempt from the colonists reaches was taxation without representation.

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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.

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The Declaration of Independence states: “that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." The Declaration of Independence is a written version of our rights as humans in America. It is saying that every person is equal, with equal opportunities. The people are given rights at birth that can not be taken away. The document gives all the “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as basic human rights.

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The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in American history, stating ideals that the people still stand by today. It was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, and it took him about three weeks. When he presented it to Congress on July 2nd they reviewed the document, made a few alterations, and accepted it two days later on July 4, 1776. The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states four ideals that Americans still stand by today, but many argue which is the most important. Equality is the most important ideal in the Declaration of Independence because without it all of the other ideals would contradict themselves.

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John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

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