The age of enlightenment brought about a rise in intellect. The first encyclopedia was made in 1771. More people had a certain curiosity or thirst for knowledge that initially was not there. The most famous people that are associated with the enlightenment period are; John Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu. These men (along with others) set a pathway for the revolution. This age is also known as the Intellectual Revolution of reason, science, and logic. During this time 90% of males and 40% of females could read. Society was becoming more and more literate. Much progress had been made in this time that majorly affected America. Along with Benjamin Franklin shining a lot upon the world with his invention of the lightbulb, Edward Jenner perfected vaccination, James Watts built the steam engine, and Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin.
Not only did the age of enlightenment bring many inventions into the world, but it also brought along the idea of order, reason, serenity, and balance. People started to realize that everything had a place and purpose. John Locke was one of the many advocates for these ideas. He was a strong believer in the natural rights of a man, that people are formed by their beliefs and experiences, and that everyone was born with a blank slate. The influence of John Locke and Benjamin Franklin’s methods were highly taken upon the founding fathers. The fight for independence from Great Britain is the primary example. There are also documents written by the founding fathers that were heavily impacted by those who were “enlightened.”
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John Locke had a major impact on the “Declaration of Independence”. A line from the Declaration states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. Locke wrote a very similar passage such as this in “Second Treatise of a Civil Government”. Thomas Jefferson epitomized John Locke’s idea that all men were born with natural rights. Also, in the Declaration it says, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the govern.” This shows the primary concept of Locke’s social contract.
Along with Locke, Montesquieu had an impact as well on the Founding Fathers. His thought of the presence and protection of civil liberties was shown in every document writing of the Founding Fathers. Montesquieu introduced the idea of “separation of powers” to promote justice and liberty. To maintain a separation Montesquieu made a system of checks and balances so one branch of government can’t overpower the other. This same concept of checks and balances was and is still being used in the present day.
The Enlightenment period brought about many changes in our country that were necessary for it to move forward. The ideas and beliefs of people such as John Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau had a major effect on the Founding Fathers and the documents that they wrote for our country.
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