Enlightenment & American Revolution

Ch 17

Philosophy in the Age of Reason

Sec 1

Natural Law

• Who: Europeans• What: rules that are discoverable by reasoning that

governed scientific forces such as gravity & magnetism• Where: Europe• When: 1500s-1600s• Why: scientific success convinced educated Europeans

of the power of human reason; used to better understand social, economic, & political probs; used this to study human behavior & solve probs = led to the Enlightenment

Thomas Hobbes

• Who: 17th century English thinker• What: set forth ideas that were to become key to the

Enlightenment ; wrote “Leviathan”• Where: England• When: 1700s• Why: he lived through upheavals in the English Civil

War; outlined his ideas in “Leviathan”= argued that ppl were naturally cruel, greedy & selfish; he said that ppl entered into “Social Contract” to avoid brutal life; best gov’t= Absolute Monarchy

John Locke• Who: 17th century English thinker• What: set forth ideas that were to become key to the

Enlightenment• Where: England• When: 1700s• Why: he thought ppl were reasonable & moral; ppl had

certain natural rights: life, liberty, & property; came to very diff ideas about the human nature & role of govt= govt has obligation to its ppl, if it fails, it fails the ppl = if govt violates natural rights = ppl have a right to overthrow= American & French Revolutions

Social Contract

• Who: European ppl; Thomas Hobbes• What: an agreement where ppl gave up their

freedom for an organized society • Where: Europe• When: 1500s-1600s• Why: Hobbes said that ppl entered into this

agreement to escape the brutish lifestyle; believed a powerful govt = orderly society; promoted Absolutism

Natural Right

• Who: John Locke• What: rights that belonged to all humans on

earth such as life, liberty, & property• Where: England• When: 1700-1800s• Why: Locke believed ppl are reasonable & moral=

they have rights from birth; ppl had a right to overthrow a govt if these rights were violated = American & French Revolutions

Philosophe

• Who: French Enlightenment thinkers/philosophers

• What: they believed the use of reason could lead to reforms of gov’t, law, & society

• Where: France, Europe• When: 1700s• Why: this group of thinkers started

Enlightenment thought = spread throughout Europe & beyond; applied methods of science to improve society

Montesquieu

• Who: an early influential thinker; a philisophe• What: studied the gov’ts of Europe & learned about

Chinese & Native Am. Cultures; wrote “Sprit of Laws” • Where: France, Europe• When: 1689-1748• Why: his sharp criticism of Absolutism = debate; in

order to protect liberty the gov’t should be divided into 3 branches; idea taken by framers of US Constitution; wrote “Persian Letters”= ridiculed French Gov’t

Lab- ch 2 lab packet & Budget Hero

Voltaire

• Who: a Philosophe, poet & historian• What: an imprisoned poet, historian, essayist &

philosopher• Where: Paris, France• When: 1694-1778• Why: he detested the slave trade; deplored

religious prejudice; defended principle of freedom of speech; his new ideas= imprisoned & forced into exile

Diderot

• Who: a Philosophe, editor of the Encyclopedia• What: he produced a 28-volume set of books called

the Encyclopedia• Where: Europe, the Americas• When: 1751-1789• Why: he wanted to change the general way of

thinking by explaining ideas on topics such as gov’t, philosophy, religion = urged education for all ; included articles from Montesquieu & Voltaire; denounced slavery & praised freedom of expression

Rousseau• Who: Jean-Jacques Rousseau; a Philosophe• What: created the Social Contract (book) society placed

too many limitations on ppl’s behavior; believed that ppl were basically good

• Where: France• When: 1762• Why: believed in good will & best conscience of the ppl;

he showed great hate for oppression; his ideas= American & French Revolutions; influenced social & political reformers for over 200 years

Laissez-Faire

• Who: French thinkers; Adam Smith• What: a policy allowing business to operate w/

little or no gov’t interference• Where: France, • When: 1700-1800• Why: this rejected Mercantilism= gov’t controls

the economy to reach a favorable balance of trade; this supported free trade & opposed tarriffs

Adam Smith

• Who: Scottish Economist• What: In his influential work “Wealth of Nations”

he advocated for the free market should be allowed to regulate business activity

• Where: Scotland, Europe, Americas• When: 1800-1900s• Why: he was a strong supporter of Laissez-Faire;

felt gov’t should only administer justice & provide public work; his ideas= shape productive economies in 1800-1900s

Rococo• Who: Architect & Designers• What: Personal, elegant style of art & architecture made

popular that featured designs.• Where: Paris, France• When: 1600’s-1700’s (mid)• Why: Rococo art moved away from religion unlike,

Baroque. Rococo was believed to encourage imagination. Portrait showed noble subjects in charming rural settings, surrounded by happy servants. Despite it being criticized it had a vast of people in upper class & graving middle class.

Enlightenment Ideas Spread

Sec 2

Censorship

• Who: European writers• What: restricting access to ideas & info• Where: France, Europe, Americas, Middle East• When: 1700s• Why: Authorities had to defend the “Old order”

that God had set up agnst the writers’ new ideas= banned all books & burn books & imprison the writers= writers disguise their ideas in fiction

Salons

• Who: writers, artists ,& philosophers; French women• What: an informal social gathering for women in their

homes• Where: Paris, France• When: 1600-1700s• Why: it started in 1600s- noblewomen began inviting

friends to their homes for poetry readings; by 1700s it flourished- middle class women are now invited= equal footing = discuss & spread enlightenment ideas

Baroque

• Who: Greek & Romans• What: Courtly art and architecture were neither in the

Greek and Romans tradition or in a grand, ornate style.• Where: Europe• When: 1600’s-1700’s• Why: Baroque paintings were huge, colorful, and full of

excitement. They glorified historic battles or the lives of the saints. Such works matched the grandeur of the European courts at that time.

Enlightenment Despot

• Who: Monarchs, Frederick the Great, Joseph II, and Catherine the Great

• What: Those that accepted enlightenment ideas.• Where: Europe• When:1700’s• Why: they were absolute rulers who used their

powers to bring about political and social change. These philosophies convinced rulers that change and reform was necessary.

Frederick the Great• Who: King of Prussia• What: Exerted &extremely tight control over his subjects.• Where: 1740-1786• When: Prussia• Why: He saw himself as the “First servant of the state,”

with a duty to work for the common good. He openly praised Voltaire’s work. He reduce the use of torture and allow a free press. He recognized the governments civil service and simplified laws, the tolerated religious differences.

Catherine the Great

• Who: Catherine II, Empress of Russia, Enlightened Despot

• What: she believed in the Enlightenment ideas = Enlightened Despot = used those ideas to bring about change

• Where: Russia• When: 1761-• Why: made limited reforms in law & gov’t,

abolished torture & est. religious tolerance; granted nobles charter of rights

Joseph II

• Who: Maria Theresa’s son & successor; Enlightened Despot

• What: traveled in disguise among his subjects to learn about their probs; brought reforms to Austria (Enlightened Despot)

• Where: Austria• When: 1700-1800s• Why: his reforms began to modernize Austria’s gov’t;

supported religious equality for Protestants & Jews in his Catholic empire

American Revolution

Sec 3

George III

• Who: English King• What: new English king that set out to restore powers

for England that the crown had lost to the colonies• Where: England• When: 1760-1820• Why: he set out to reassert royal power over the

colonies; he wanted to end Whig domination; dissolves cabinet system in colonies ; made Parliament follow his own will; his policies were disastrous= colonists MAD; taxing the American colonies = Revolution!

Stamp Act

• Who: King George III vs colonists• What: an imposed tax on items such as newspapers

& pamphlets• Where: England to American Colonies• When: 1765• Why: the 7 years war/French & Indian war drained

English treasury = King George III thought the colonies should pay = Sugar Act & Stamp act (Taxes them) = made the colonists mad = American Revolution

George Washington

• Who: soldier & political & social leader• What: commander of the continental Army (Colonists’

army) & 1st president of the USA • Where: Virginia, Americas• When: 1732-1789• Why: led the American Army against the British;

incorporated order & discipline- strong leader; he enforced strength & determination in the colonists’ army = they won the American Revolution= The independent United States

Thomas Jefferson• Who: principal author of Declaration of Independence,

Virginian• What: he wrote the Dec of Ind- the most important

document to the US• Where: Virginia, America• When: 1776• Why: he reflected John Locke’s ideas of the people’s rights of

life, liberty, property in the Dec of Ind; the document protected the ppl’s rights of a free country; this document is the basis of the United States’ freedom & is still present as our freedom today

Popular Sovereignty

• Who: John Locke• What: a theory that states that all gov’t power

comes from the ppl; imp. Part of the Dec of Ind• Where: Virginia, United States• When: 1776• Why : this argued that the colonists had the right

to rebel against unjust gov’ts = Am. Rev. = Colonists form their own politically sovereign govt

Yorktown, Virginia

• Who: French, British, American Colonists• What: French/American fleet blockaded

Chesapeake bay which forced the British to surrender to GW & Americans

• Where: Yorktown, VGA• When: 1781• Why: British effort crumbled= Treaty of Paris

(ended the war)= British now recognized the independence of the USA

Treaty of Paris

• Who: British, French, Americans• What: the treaty that ended the American

Revolution• Where: United States• When: 1781• Why: this ended the Am Rev= The British had

to recognize America as an independent nation

James Madison

• Who: Constitutional Convention’s floor leader• What: helped write the Constitution & became a

respected American leader• Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA• When: 1751-1836• Why: he created a federal republic (the new

gov’t) along w. the other framers of the constitution; his document (Constitution) est a gov’t for the ppl, by the ppl

Benjamin Franklin

• Who: a national leader in the Am Rev • What: the nation’s leaders met in secret to

redraft the Articles of the new constitution of the United States- wrote the Constitution

• Where: Philadelphia, PA, USA• When: 1787• Why: he helped write the US Constitution =

this est. a gov’t for the ppl, by the ppl

Federal Republic

• Who: Americans• What: a gov’t in which power is divided by the

nation (federal govt) and the states (local)• Where: USA• When: 1780s• Why: the Constitution created this gov’t for the

USA- the newly independent country after the Am Rev; Republic- ppl are represented and have a say; we have this govt today in the USA