John Locke's Second Treatise

The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual and philosophical movement that challenged the traditional ideas of the world. It included a range of ideas centered around reasoning as the primary source of authority and legitimacy. As a result, it changed the mindset of many individuals concerning those things. In particular, it was a major influence to the establishment of the U.S. government. Thomas Jefferson and the other framers of the U.S. Constitution believed in Enlightenment principles, so they used those key ideas to help mold their newly found country. They focused on a democratic republic that protects freedom of speech, equality, religious tolerance, and so forth. However, these ideas did not stop being an influence after the creation

Essentially, he argued that people are equal and have natural rights separately from outside rule. Natural law governs behavior, so each person has the ability to execute that law if someone infringes on those rights. The exception is if those individuals willingly give up some of those rights to be in a government that will protect their remaining rights (Locke, 88-93). Before the American Revolution, King George III treated the American colonists not as British citizens but as subjects. He ruled with a tyrannical attitude and committed many abuses against their rights. As a response, the Declaration of Independence was made, and it included the well-known phrase, “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence, 106). The phrase give three examples of unalienable rights that every human being is born with. It uses what Locke preached about and declares that the government is primarily created to protect these rights unlike what King George III has done. And if said government doesn’t do so, the people are allowed to rebel and overthrow that government as stated here, “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government” (Declaration of Independence, 106). This did happen as seen in the American Revolution. Overall, the Declaration of

government show Enlightenment influences other than the ones previously mentioned. For instance, the Bill of Rights guarantee certain freedoms and protections. These include freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, the right to equal justice, and rights which are not specifically mentioned. The Enlightenment especially the American version focused on the individuals, not just the king. Thus, it is reasonable to see freedoms and protections being passed by a democratic republic to protect those individuals’ rights. As time passes on, more freedoms and protections are enacted to extend that promise of American democracy like the Civil War Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude. The Fourteenth Amendment redefined citizenship and eliminated the ⅗ compromise. The Fifteenth Amendment says that none can deny the right to vote due to race, color, or being a former slave (Western Expansion and the Nevada Constitution, October, 10). The Civil War Amendments’ initial goal was to reunite the north and the south, so ending slavery was just a secondary goal. Nevertheless, they greatly helped former slaves since they are now free individuals, being legitimate U.S. citizens, and have the ability to vote without difficulty. Unfortunately, the 14th Amendment pertain very peculiar writing; it excluded females from voting. This is why the Nineteenth