How Did The American Revolution Reflect The Ideas From The Enlightenment Movement

America’s founding fathers used enlightenment to justify their freedom from British rule. American ideals clearly reflect themes from the enlightenment movement such as toleration, natural rights of men, and enlightened leadership. “Enlightenment encouraged thinkers and activists to question the social, political, and economic order around them, and offered concrete ideas about how societies could be reordered more effectively.” (Bentley 471) Ideas from the enlightenment era laid the foundation for the justification of the revolutions that took place in the Americas during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. These ideas that fueled the American Revolution were put into motion by American Enlightenment thinkers and leaders such

“He attacked key categories of the traditional life: The British monarchy, the Constitution of the British Empire as interpreted by Parliament, aristocracy, an established church, entrenched classes, slavery.” (Riemer 460) Madison rejected class societies, saying that they were “artificial distinctions.” He believed in moral, political, and economic equality and had very strong republican opinions. Madison realized what a strong pull passion had on man’s political behavior and knew that government could be a tool to keep that from letting one man take over.
Benjamin Franklin was “one of the ablest of the able men whom the American republic numbers amongst her fathers and founders.” (The Illustrated Magazine of Art 37) Franklin was many things during his lifetime and assisted in leading America through a turbulent time of politics. He was a supporter of federalism and religious liberty. His beliefs aligned with many of the virtues of enlightenment ideals. He believed people should think with an open mind and wished for civilians to be independent and think for themselves. He was also a promoter of enlightened