IDEAS OF CHANGEEssential Questions:

1.How did the Enlightenment in Europe impact the English colonies?

2.How did/would Enlightenment philosophers and political scientists impact the development of the revolutionary ideas?

WIND OF CHANGE During the 1700s ideas of

change began to circulate in the colonies

Ideas that challenged the old view the world

Partly brought on by the effects of the falsity of the Salem witch trials

Benjamin Franklin was an outstanding enlightenment figure Embraced the idea of truth

through experimentation and reason

THE ENLIGHTENMENT The Enlightenment

Period in Europe during which philosophers, scientists, and political scientists felt reason and logic could be applied to all forms of human activity Society Government

Enlightenment ideas spread in New England Puritans supported

public education in their colonies Higher literacy rates

HISTORY IS A PROCESS

14th -17th centuries

Revival of Greek and Roman Ideas Leonardo da Vinci

16th -17th centuries Applied logic and reason to universe Isaac Newton

18th Century

Applied logic and reason to society and government

THOMAS HOBBES English philosopher

Wrote the Leviathan Talked about states and what

is a legitimate government

Developed the social contract theory Said that without government

to keep order their would be “war of every man against every man”

Best government was an absolute monarchy

To escape this existence man gave up rights to create a government and have law & order Called it a “Social Contract”

JOHN LOCKE English political scientist

Believed man could learn from the past to improve themselves

Wrote Two Treatises of Government All men are equal in state of

nature Legitimate governments

are those which have the people’s consent

Governments that rule without the consent of people can be overthrown

Said all people are born free and equal with three natural rights Life, liberty, and property

VOLTAIRE French writer and

philosopher

He fought for tolerance

Voltaire renounced religion

Claimed that 100 years from his day there would be no Bible

Believed in the separation of church and state and in religious freedom

MONTESQUIEU French ‘social commentator’

and political scientist

Studied French society and government

Saw two types of governmental power existing: The sovereign (a supreme

ruler, i.e. – King/Queen) The administrative

The administrative powers included: The executive The legislative The judicial

IMPACT OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT

Enlightenment

Emphasized human Reason

Led the colonists to

start to question British

authority