How Enlightenment Shaped The Basis Of The American Revolution

The Enlightenment was a movement focused on equality, freedom of speech, press, and religion. The movement helped shape the philosophical basis of the American Revolution and was crucial in determining the politics, religion, and government of colonial America. All aspects of life were affected by the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment popularized self- improvement and societal change. Many figureheads and philosophers such as Thomas Jefferson and John Locke helped shape these ideas. Americans began to understand that their government needed proper representation from their own people in their own country through the Enlightenment writings by John Locke.
The principles of the Enlightenment allowed the colonist to stand up for what they believed

Locke explained in the Second Treatise of government that the power of the state is held by the people, and the power of the state can only be sustained if it exists to preserve and protect the interest of the people. "The only way whereby any one divests himself of his natural liberty, and puts on the bonds of civil society, is by agreeing with other men to join and unite into a community. in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and greater security against any that are not of it" (Second Treatise on Government pg. 2). Locke proposed that the people could dissolve their government if needed. The government was merely there for the benefits of the people and could be replaced if it ceased to do its primary function. The Enlightenment movement helped America turn into the representative democracy we know today. Democracy as we know it, adopted popular sovereignty from the movement meaning that people are the rulers of themselves, and thus so can represent themselves or choose others to do

He separated the powers into three branches; the judicial, executive, and legislative branch. The supreme law of the land is the legislative power that must be upheld and followed. The executive power is in effect to enforce the legislation. The executive branch also has the power to make a decision for the good of the people only if it benefits the people. The limitations of power were put in place to protect the people, and to keep the government in check (Second Treatise of Government).
As stated above Locke had a major impact on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution. The declaration addressed the issues that Americans had with the British monarchy. It was informing King George III that they would no longer follow the rules set out by the British. In its simplest form, it was a statement that the colonists wanted to govern themselves. The British were not too thrilled about the fact, and they declared war. We obviously know how that one turned out. After the war, the Constitution set out guidelines on how the newly freed colonies would be