The Enlightenment impacted the American Revolution by spreading the overwhelming vision of a democratic society.
By Madison1928
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Hobbes's Absolute Monarchy
"Hobbes said, the ruler needed total power to keep citizens under control. The best government was one that had the awesome power of a leviathan." (551) In Hobbes's work called Leviathan, he illustrated his idea that all humans are naturally "selfish and wicked." According to Hobbes, we needed to be completely ruled over by a king because of our selfish nature. He believed in an absolute monarchy, in which a ruler could impose order and demand obedience. -
Locke's Natural Rights
"According to Locke, all people are born free and equal, with three natural rights— life, liberty, and property." (Pearson 551) It was John Locke's belief that the government's purpose was to protect these three rights and if they fail to do so, the citizens had the right to rebel against the government. Rather than support an absolute monarchy, he suggested that we have a self-governing society. -
Voltaire and Religious Freedom
"One of his [Voltaire's] major focuses is...that government needs to be separate from the Church." (Byrd) In other words, Voltaire had a strong belief in religious freedom or the separation of all religious practices from the state. Dissociation between both religion and government, Voltaire believed, would lead to a higher "tolerance" for many diverse religions. -
Montesquieu's Idea of Separation of Powers
"Montesquieu proposed that separation of powers would keep any individual or group from gaining total control of the government." (Pearson 553) Therefore, he believed in a system in which each branch of government could check the other two branches. Thus, no one person or group of people would have total control of the government and the power would be evenly distributed throughout the branches. Montesquieu believed in the idea of the system of checks and balances. -
Rousseau's Social Contract
"Rousseau believed that the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the “general will” of society—a direct democracy." (Pearson 554) Under such a system, their would be an agreement or contract between free citizens to create a government and society. If the government were to do something contradictory to the people's freedom and rights, they would have the ability to back out of their contract and create a new government. -
Beccaria Promotes Criminal Justice
"He [Beccaria] argued that a person accused of a crime should receive a speedy trial, and that torture should never be used. Moreover, he said, the degree of punishment should be based on the seriousness of the crime." (Pearson 554) It was Beccaria's belief that the justice system's purpose wasn't to get revenge for the crimes, but rather to retain the social order. In his book, On Crimes and Punishments, Beccaria elaborates on his philosophy of the goals of criminal justice. -
Hobbes' and the Boston Massacre
"The fatal incident happened on March 5 of 1770. The massacre resulted in the death of five colonists." (Boston) These unarmed civilians were brutally murdered by the British soldiers sent by the king to stop demonstrations against the Townsend Acts. Hobbes encouraged absolute rule over the people. In a way, because philosophers like Hobbes spoke for an absolute monarchy, Great Britain was able to keep total control over the U.S. for many years and send dangerous soldiers to "maintain order." -
Locke's Influence on the Boston Tea Party
"The 'Boston Tea Party' was in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773...and many colonists viewed the act as another example of taxation tyranny." (History.com) The Boston Tea Party was as a result of the unwanted taxes that the abusive government imposed on the people. Locke said the people had the right to rebel if the government failed to protect their three natural rights. This tax on tea was a violation of their rights, so, according to Locke's philosophy, they could rebel. -
Rousseau and the Battle of Lexington and Concord
"The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War...Tensions had been building for many years between residents of the 13 American colonies and the British authorities." (History.com 2) Rousseau had a large impact on the commencement of the war because this battle was them "backing out" of their contract. His philosophy allowed for the people to back out of their social contract and form a new government if their rights were violated. -
Montesquieu and the Ratification of the Constitution
"The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too much control." (usa.gov) In other words, each branch of government has a check on the other two. This is exactly Montesquieu's philosophy. The Constitution of the United States set forth a system of checks and balances. Montesquieu influenced the Constitution by spreading his idea of separation of powers within the government. -
The Bill of Rights and Beccaria
"The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution states: 'Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.'" (Stevenson) This amendment strictly prohibits the use of harsh punishments, which was one of Beccaria's major ideas. Beccaria thought that the justice system should be used to maintain social order, not get revenge. So, this amendment in the Bill of Rights fulfilled his beliefs against cruel and unusual punishment. -
Voltaire and the Bill of Rights
"The First Amendment states 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'" (Hamilton) Voltaire believed the church should be separate from the state so that there would be a higher tolerance for different religions. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights clearly lays out that the government isn't allowed to interfere with the free expression of religion. Voltaire fought for this idea of religious freedom, causing the addition. -
Works Cited
-Pearson Education. Pacemaker World History. Shoreview, MN: Pearson AGS Globe, 2008. Print.
-"Sons of Liberty Dump British Tea." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 01 May 2017. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sons-of-liberty-dump-british-tea.
-History.com Staff. "Battles of Lexington and Concord." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 01 May 2017. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-lexington-and-concord. -
Works Cited
-"Branches of Government." Branches of Government | USA.gov. N.p., 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 01 May 2017. https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government.
-Stevenson, Bryan A., and John F. Stinneford. "The 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." National Constitution Center – The 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2017. https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-viii. -
Works Cited
-Hamilton, Marci A., and Michael McConnell. "The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution." National Constitution Center – The 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 May 2017. https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-i/the-establishment-clause-hamilton-and-mcconnell/interp/31.
-"Boston Massacre - the First Battle of the Revolutionary War." Boston Massacre Historical Society. N.p., 2008. Web. 02 May 2017.
