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Liberalism In The Progressive Era

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When trying to define a word such as Liberalism it seems difficult to find a solid definition. There are different forms of liberalism and different meanings depending on the time period it is being applied to (idea taken from Phil Badger author from philosophynow). To solve this ambiguity, I’ve decided to define liberalism based on the time period in which I will be conducting my research. Liberalism in the 1700s was the belief of freedom and equals rights generally associated with the enlightenment thinkers, John Locke and Montesquieu (as defined by wikipedia.org). Liberalism didn’t start in the 1700s. There is evidence of liberal ideas throughout western philosophy. Though, John Locke was the first to formally create the ideas of liberalism and categorize them as an ideology. Locke is considered the father of liberalism because of his works that addresses …show more content…

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the declaration of independence, was heavily influenced by Locke’s beliefs. Jefferson believed that all men were created equal, which is a liberal view. The Constitution was also a liberal document that was important in this revolution. The first ten amendments of the Constitution, also known as the Bill of Rights, granted natural born rights, an idea that the liberal thinkers developed and believed in. Liberalism as it pertains to the 1700s means to believe in freedom and equal rights. John Locke was the first to create this idea of liberalism. Locke’s views influence the many important people during the American Revolution. As we can see liberalism can be seen in the American Revolution. From Thomas Jefferson to James Madison we see liberal beliefs throughout the revolution. As I continue my research I will go through letters, books and diaries to find more evidence of how liberalism is present in the American

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As teens rebel against their mothers, so to did America rebel against the British during the 18th Century. However, also like children they followed their mother’s footsteps. Oliver Cromwell led a revolt against the Staurt monarchy and similarly colonists revolted against the British. During this time, an English philosopher named John Locke wrote works on political philosophies, mainly against the Stuarts. John Locke would have believed that the American colonists justified their resentments against the British especially, since the British stole their fundamental rights of liberty, property, and life.

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One of the biggest influences that John Locke had on President Jefferson was, what John Locke dubbed, “Natural Rights,” and what Jefferson called, “Unalienable Rights.” Meaning practically the same thing, these rights were very similar, and it is obvious that Jefferson’s version derives from Locke’s ‘Natural Rights.’ John Locke’s version stated that all peoples shall possess the following rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. In this case, life means, that people people will fight to live and want to survive. Liberty refers to being free, and being able to make one’s own decision.

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As the author of The Great Awakening And Enlightenment In Colonial America stated, “Another idea central to American Enlightenment thinking is liberalism, that is, the notion that humans have natural rights and that government authority is not absolute, but based on the will and consent of the governed” (The Great Awakening And Enlightenment In Colonial

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• Thomas used Aristotle’s view of natural law to justify the authority of the Roman Catholic Church in political as well as religious matters. For the purpose of explaining the fundamental reasons of law he used Aristotle’s philosophy and added the use of an eternal ruler. John Locke • John Locke had a distinct influence on the writers of the American Constitution by advocating for human rights and liberty through democracy. In saying so, he believed that the mass majority of ordinary people can be capable of giving consent to their governor/ruler as opposed to the Monarch government. However if the ruler did not comply with the needs of the people, Locke believed that the public had the justified right to rebel.

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The progressive era is a critical period in the history of the national construction of the United States and a critical period of national governance. Since the middle of the nineteenth Century, the United States has experienced great and rapid economic and social changes. In the promotion of liberal capitalism, in the past few decades, the U.S. economy rapid industrialization, the United States showed a rapid economic growth, creating a hitherto unknown economic prosperity, the United States also from an agricultural society rapid transformation into an industrial society, to the agricultural industry and handicraft industry dominated capitalist economy quickly turns to large companies as the core of corporate capitalism. Industrialization

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1), unsuccessful programs (Docs. 2, 3, and 5), and skewed morals (Docs. 4 and 6). They believed that the era’s liberalism was hindering American society, and this belief only grew as time passed; Richard Nixon, for example, was elected in the 1970s off of a catering to a so called conservative ‘silent majority’. Past Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, liberalism in America up to 1989 could be found in welfare programs (Docs. 2 and 3), changing views towards society as a whole (Docs. 4 and 6), ‘hippie’ culture, and more. Threats to ‘traditional values’ could be found in all of these

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liberalism is the pursuit of change and progress for the better good, socially and politically. Liberals of the late nineteenth century, often believed in “new” ideals like liberty and equality, as well as the overthrow of the monarchy in place of a more equal government that gave more power to the people. One key principle of liberalism that evolved from the French revolution is the idea that the will of the people should be represented in the government’s actions. Toussaint talks about this general will in the Haitian constitution, “the terms of this constitution are the free, voluntary, and unchanging expression of our hearts and of our constituents’ general will” (The Haitian Constitution) He believed that his people should have a say in what the government did.

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World War I was a war that Americans entered reluctantly, and a war which led to the replacement of progressivism by liberalism. Liberalism arose from a feeling of entrapment brought by the various regulations on industry and society, and embraced individualism to create a sense of liberation. Cars, especially the Model T, played a massive role in this by giving mobility to men and women, and creating a sense of freedom and independence (McGerr 228). The phonograph, psychotherapy, sports, amusement parks, dance, and music were other individualistic concepts, which provided pleasure. African Americans of the period began migrating to cities like Chicago, and enjoyed certain individualistic freedoms like music and boxing (McGerr 257), but were also banned from many theaters and places of leisure, and often created their own theaters.

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The main idea is that the civil society should be governing itself. In other words, there is a fundamental belief in individual freedom. Classical liberalism holds the view that the people have natural rights and these rights are separate from government. This view is opposite towards the general opinion where the government grants rights. It is a time of scientific revolutions and the time when the power of Catholic Church had no longer the same type of power as before.

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John Locke was coined as the father of liberalism. He was one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers and proved to be a great English philosopher and physician. What is more is that he is one of the first empiricists in Britain. He even greatly contributed in the American Declaration of Independence focusing on the classical republicanism and liberal theory. John Locke was able to study in prestigious institution in London named Westminster School.

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The National Assembly then wrote the Declaration of Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Commoners were now considered equal to the nobles and clergy and ending the old regime. They believed all men were born free and equal similar to what Locke believed in. The Enlightenment ideas influenced the American Revolution and the American Revolution influenced the French

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The most significant personality between the liberal people was Thomas Jefferson, who proclaimed that

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John Locke was an English philosopher who developed the idea of republicanism. He believed all people were born with the natural rights of life, liberty, and property. If theses rights were taken away by a government, then people had the right to rebel. He also believed that people should elect officials to represent them and make decisions on their behalf. These officials would be educated and would represent ideas parallel to those best for the public.

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Liberalism affected much of Europe during the Eighteenth Century. It started with the French wanting to get property rights and the lower class people wanting the right to vote, and it eventually conformed with nationalism and wanting to combine countries based on the language people spoke. Britain even had their share of Liberalism, and it especially heated up during the time of Gladstone and Disraeli. Liberalism did not always win, but it changed the political and economic atmosphere all throughout Europe.

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In American society, there is an ongoing list of political ideologies. These political ideologies range anywhere from the commitment to traditional values (conservatism), to the freedom and openness to change (liberalism). Whether it is authoritarian conservative, anarchism, socialism, progressivism, pluralism, toleration, etc., everyone is entitled to their own views. After doing research on several ideologies, I found myself closely associated with liberalism.

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