How Did The Enlightenment Create A New Form Of Government

In 1492, exploration of what is now North America began. Colonization began, and it was a tough road. The colonists in the new western world were run by an oppressive government. The British government was being unfair, and the colonists wanted to get out of that relationship. This lit the path for the United States. The new American colonists were now free from British rule. They needed a government to rule them. The Articles of Confederation was created as the first American government. It became apparent that it was too weak of a government. The United States held a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to discuss the problems with the Articles of Confederation. Ultimately, this meeting created a new form of government, the United States

The Enlightenment helped to shape the ideas of popular sovereignty, natural rights, and separation of powers in the United States Constitution. To start, the Enlightenment introduced the idea of Popular Sovereignty. Popular Sovereignty is the idea that the majority of people should have the biggest say in the government. John Locke believed that the people should be the ones to make the decisions for their government. The people are the ones that are impacted the most by the government, so they should have the biggest say in it. This is the fundamental idea of popular sovereignty. Consequently, Popular sovereignty is evident in the election process for Congressmen and the president. This is one of the most important principles in the United States Constitution. Additionally, separation of powers is used in the Constitution and can be traced back to the Enlightenment. Charles de Montesquieu believed that government duties should be spread out between 3 branches of government. He explained more in his book Spirit of Laws, “To prevent this abuse, it is necessary, from the very nature of things, that power should be a check to power….” (Document D). Charles Montesquieu’s ideas during the Enlightenment show that separation of powers and checks and balances are essential for a government to prevent an abuse of power. These principles are a central part of

First of all, the Articles of Confederation did not allow the government to collect taxes. Without the ability to collect taxes, the United States government could not create a military or carry out other government duties. When the government could not collect taxes, the Constitution took notice and made sure the federal government had more power over the states. The federal government was given more power in the Constitution. Likewise, the federal government was not able to enforce the laws to the states. Because the federal government could not enforce the laws, the states did not have to follow them. After Shay’s Rebellion, an armed uprising from the farmers in Massachusetts, people realized that the federal government was too weak. Here is George Washington’s letter in the days after Shay’s Rebellion, “If government... is unable to enforce its laws; … anarchy and confusion must prevail - and everything will be turned topsy turvy in that State” (Document G). After the failures of the Articles of Confederation, the federal government was made the most powerful group in the United States, and all citizens must listen to their laws. Shay’s rebellion shined a light on the ineffectiveness of the federal government. As a final point, the states were unable to be united under one body. Because the states were all separate, no state could agree on anything. The idea of a