The Enlightenment and Revolution

1. The Enlightenment and Revolution Chapter 21 Mrs. Kercher

2. I. Ideas of the Enlightenment • The Age of Reason • Discoveries influenced change and challenged the Church • New scholars used human reason to gain: • Knowledge • Freedom • Happiness • The Enlightenment time period used reason to guide people’s thoughts on philosophy, society, and politics

3. I. Ideas of the Enlightenment • The Enlightenment Roots • Thinkers used facts and practices from the Greeks, Romans, and the history of Christianity. • Greeks and Romans • Philosophers observed an order and regularity in the natural world. • Aristotle taught about logic • The Romans developed the concept of the natural law. • Christianity • Aquinas taught that faith paired with reason could explain the world. • Enlightenment thinkers disagreed with the church’s claims and intolerance • The Renaissance and Reformation • Humanists focused on human value and achievement • They wanted to improve the world by studying and changing it • Scientific Revolution • Scientists used the scientific method to discover laws that governed the natural world • Thinkers believed that natural laws must also govern human society and government.

4. I. Ideas of the Enlightenment • New Ideas • The use of reason can change society and those ideas must be shared • French Philosophers • Voltaire – humans can improve their own existence; spoke out against censorship; focused on freedom of thought • Salons allowed women to influence thinker’s opinions • British writers • Publications in books, pamphlets, and newspapers began to spread ideas • Smith wrote that governments should not control the economy

5. II. New Views on Government • Influence on Monarchies • Monarchies begin to change as rulers apply Enlightenment ideas • Despots ruled with absolute power and tried to make life better for commoners • Democratic Ideas • Some thinkers challenged monarchy rule and developed new ideas for government • Locke argued for government as a contract between the ruler and people; he believed in natural rights of life, liberty, and property • Montesquieu argued that government needed to divide power into branches • Rousseau focused on the “social contract” of the people have a say in government, popular sovereignty

6. II. New Views on Government • The Enlightenment in America • The spread of ideas influenced the colonists rebellion against Britain • British Policy in North America • Due to conflict and war with France over land in North America, the British taxed the colonies. • Colonists viewed these taxes as unfair and wanted to be treated equal as British citizens living in England. • Colonists’ Views • Franklin and Jefferson applied the Enlightenment ideas to colonists’ complaints. • Franklin began the argument of “no taxation without representation” • Jefferson and Locke believed that Britain had no right to govern and impose taxes on the colonies.

7. III. The Age of Revolution • Revolution and Reform in England • Commoners were influenced to oppose monarchies and conflict was the result. • Parliament and the English monarchy had an unstable relationship because they could not agree over power regarding taxation. • New rights for English people came about after William and Mary took the throne in 1688 and the English Bill of Rights limited the monarch’s power and recognized more individual rights.

8. III. The Age of Revolution • Democracy in America • Protests against British law led to America’s independence. • Meetings to plan how America’s government would be structured and how colonists natural rights would be protected were held. • The Declaration of Independence declared America’s independence and based its ideals on the Enlightenment beliefs. • The Articles of Confederation were later written and set the structure for the first government of the states. • These were later followed by the U.S. Constitution

9. III. The Age of Revolution • The French Revolution • The French were inspired by the revolution occurring in America. • The Third Estate rebelled against the King and demanded that he a constitution limiting his powers. • The King refused and the Storming of the Bastille occurred on July 14, 1789 staring the revolution. • The Great Fear spread across the countryside with peasants taking revenge against landlords. • The National Assembly wrote a constitution, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, including ideas from Enlightenment figures. • Actions taken by new leaders led France into a time called the Reign of Terror where people were beheaded because of questioning the government. • Eventually, France created a democratic government.