Influence Of Enlightenment On The American Revolution

The ideas of the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution and the formation of the American Government in several different ways. The Enlightenment period initiated several new ideas about freedoms and rights. These ideas were discussed in meetings called salons in France, where they discussed new ideas. There were many influential philosophers from the enlightenment periods, Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, Voltaire, John Locke, and Rousseau. Thomas Hobbes believed that all people were naturally selfish and needed a strong government like an absolute monarchy to remain in control. Montesquieu supported the separation of powers and a system of checks and balances in government. Adam Smith believed that governments†¦show more content†¦It was our fight to become independent and free. The Enlightenment thinker Adam Smith believed that the government should not interfere with a free market economy. Many of the colonists believed the same, so they dressed up as N ative Americans and dumped imported tea from a ship into the Boston Harbour to protest against the Tea Act. The Tea Act heavily impacted the colonists’ taxes, which is what the colonists were fighting over. This shows that the Enlightenment influenced the American Revolution because the Enlightenment thinker Adam Smith caused the colonists to revolt against Britain’s oppression. Another important Enlightenment thinker, John Locke, also inspired the colonists to revolt because he believed that people were able to revolt when their government was not protecting the natural rights of the people. Since the colonists didn’t like what was happening to the controlling government, they revolted because of John Locke. Finally, Voltaire believed in freedom of speech and expression, meaning that he thought anyone could protest or say what they believed. The colonists were very impacted by this belief, as it inspired them to speak out against the king and revolt. All in all , the American colonists were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment thinkers because they took the new ideas and applied them, causing them to revolt against Britain to gain independence, starting the AmericanShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of The American Revolution And The Enlightenment799 Words   |  4 Pagesto the American Revolution had tremendous influence over the Founders of the United States. These ideas came together in the creation of the U.S. constitution, working in tandem to lay the foundation for the way the government should be structured, as well as the core philosophy behind the country. The Enlightenment, also called the Age of Reason, influenced the rest of the world during the late eighteenth century. 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