Baron de Montesquieu

By Kat Staley, Jamie Shirtz and Kaitie Hess

Born Jan. 18, 1689 in La Brede, France to a wealthy

family Sent to Tully, near Paris to receive a classical

education Became lawyer Marries Jeanne de Latrigue and recieves great

wealth Uncle dies, leaving him his title, fortune, and office Publishes his work, including “Persian Letters” and

“The Spirit of Laws” Dies February 10 in Bordeaux

Biography

People Cannot Govern Themselves: Solid government ruling over people Freedom is the right to be left alone England’s government was well off

Philosophical Ideas

Humankind is Bad: Savage without art or science “Eat or be eaten” Civilizations devour each other

Philosophical Ideas

Best form of government: one in which power is balanced among three groups of officials

-contributed checks and balances

1.) Executive - enforced laws- King, President2.) Legislative - made laws- Parliament, Congress3.) Judicial – interprets laws- Supreme Court, English Court

Beliefs in Government

Contributed New Ideas:

- political liberty- people have the right “to do what one should want to do, and not being forced to do what one should not want to do”

- laws are not divinely inspired-they evolved naturally out of life

- “the separation of power”: balancing power so one does not abuse it

Beliefs in Government

Colonists struggling under taxes and

restrictions Beliefs quoted in the media to support

colonists’ protest Use model government and constitution to

contradict English government “They should be adapted in such a manner to

the people for whom they are framed that it should be a great chance if those of one nation suit another”

Affect on the Revolution

Baron de la Brède et de Montesquieu. Law Brain, 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.

<http://lawbrain.com/wiki/Baron_de_la_Br%C3%A8de_et_de_Montesquieu>.“Charles de Montesquieu.” Liberal Internation. Liberal International, 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.liberal- international.org/editorial.asp?ia_id=675>. Montesquieu. Cartage, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/biographies/mainbiographies/m/montesquieu/1.html>.Schaub, Diana. “Montesquieu’s Popular Science.” The New Atlantis - Montesquieu. The Center for the Study of Technology and Society, 2008. Web. 11 Oct. 2012.

<http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/montesquieus-popular-science>. “Spirit of Laws - 1748.” Montesquieu, Natural Law, and Natural Rights. The Witherspoon Institute, 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nlnrac.org/earlymodern/montesquieu/primary-source-documents>.

Work Cited