The Enlightenment and The American Revolution

1. The Enlightenment and The American Revolution Chapter 17

2. Scientific Revolution Sparks the Enlightenment • Transformed the way people looked at the world • Natural Law was introduced • Led to enlightened thinking

3. Hobbes and Locke Have Conflicting Views • Hobbes Believes in Powerful Government • Key Enlightenment thinker • Wrote Leviathin • Believed people should be strictly controlled • Believed in the Social Contract

4. Hobbes and Locke Have Conflicting Views • Locke Advocates Natural Rights • More optimistic view of human nature • He believed in Natural Rights • Wrote Two Treatises of Government • People wanted governments to defend their natural rights • Ideas would influence the American Revolution

5. The Philosophes • Montesquieu Advances the Idea of Separation of Powers • People who believed that reason could lead to reform of government • Studied the governments of Europe • Criticized any monarchies • Wrote The Spirit of Laws • Felt the best way protect liberty was to divide the government • Wanted a legislative, executive and judicial branch of government to divide powers • Branches should be able to check each others’ powers

6. The Philosophes • Voltaire Defends Freedom of Thought • Targeted corrupt officials • Battled inequality, injustice, and superstition • Was imprisoned then exiled • Books were burned

7. The Philosophes • Diderot Edits the Encyclopedia • Created the 28 volume set • Wanted the change the general way of thinking • Denounced slavery • Encyclopedia was published in multiple languages • Helped spread enlightenment ideas

8. The Philosophes Women Enlightenment didn’t apply to women A Vindication of the Rights of Woman was written by Wollstonecraft Rousseau • Believed people were basically good • Believed society placed too many restrictions on human behavior • Expressed his thoughts in The Social Contract

9. New Economic Thinking • Laissez Faire Replaces Mercantilism • French focused on economic reforms • Believed government should stay out of private business • Businesses and Markets should operate with little government control

10. New Economic Thinking • Smith Argues for a Free Market • Adam Smith was a prominent economist • Wrote The Wealth of Nations • Believed in free market without government interference • Believed in forces of supply and demand

11. New Ideas Challenge Society • Writers Face Censorship • Churches and governments wanted to protect old ways • They censored access to ideas or information • Writers would disguise their work in arts of fiction

12. New Ideas Challenge Society • Ideas Spread in Salons • Thinkers would gather to discuss ideas • Salons began in Paris with noblewomen inviting people over to their houses • Eventually middle class women held salons

13. Arts and Literature • From Grandeur to Charm • Used to paint in baroque style • Louis XV was much less formal • Held lighter more elegant affairs

14. Arts and Literature • The Enlightenment Inspires Composers • New forms of music developed • Switched to Rocco style of art and music • Classical music soon followed • Ballets and Operasstarted to perform • Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most famous composers • Franz Joseph Haydn was a key classical composer • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy and composer • Wrote operas and symphonies

15. Arts and Literature • The Novel Takes Shape • More people were able to read • They wanted more novels to read • Many popular tales were written • Daniel Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe • Story about a shipwrecked sailor on a tropical island

16. Enlightened Despots Embrace New Ideas • Frederick II Attempts Reform • Called Frederick the Great of Prussia • Believed that he served for the common good of the state • Respected Voltaire • Allowed free press and reduced torture • Reorganized the government • Reformedlaws • Showed toleration for all religions

17. Enlightened Despots Embrace New Ideas • Catherine The Great Studies Philosophes’ Work • Empress of Russia • Believed in equality and liberty • Abolished torture • Established religious tolerance • Did not completely give up power

18. Enlightened Despots Embrace New Ideas • Joseph II Continues Reform • Eager to learn of the enlightenment • Supported religious equality • Abolished serfdom • Allowed free press

19. Lives of the Majority Slowly Change • Most people still remained peasants • Soon equalitywould take root in the small villages

20. Britain Becomes a Global Power • Central location for international trade • Had a favorable climate for business • Won many wars • Soon they acquired Scotland and Wales • King George became the first English King born in England • King George tried to exert control by putting friends in parliament

21. American Colonies in the 1700’s • Stretch of colonies along North America’s Northeast coast became British Colonies • Boston, New York and Philadelphia became extremely busy ports • Applied mercantilist policies to colonies • Passed the Navigation Act to control colonial trade • Many different religious colonies formed in the Northeast • There were less social distinctions • Wanted to have same rights as English citizens

22. Colonists Express Discontent • Colonists Rebel Against Britain • Great Britain passed the Stamp Act, a tax on all paper goods in the colonies • People believed in no taxation without representation • The Boston Massacre, with 5 killed, happened in 1770 • The Boston Tea Party followed in 1773 • Representatives of the colonies gathered in Philadelphia

23. Colonists Express Discontent • Colonists Declare Independence • The Lexington and Concord Battle started the American Revolution • Soon a continental army was set up under George Washington • In 1776 the Second Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain • Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence • Introduced the idea of popular sovereignty

24. The American Revolution Continues • France Provides Support • The American soldiers were losing the war • Colonists understood the geography better • Won first battle in Saratoga in 1777 • France joined in as an ally of the colonists • The Netherlands and Spain soon joined the fight with colonists

25. The American Revolution Continues • Treaty of Paris End the War • French helped block the British fleet • Washington was able to force a surrender from the British • The Treaty of Paris was signed where Britain would recognize the independence of the United States of America

26. A New Constitution • Enlightenment Ideas Have Great Impact • James Madison and Benjamin Franklin worked to draft the Constitution • Studied Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau • Created a federal republic, power is divided between states • Created three separate branches of government: executive, judicial and legislative • Introduced the Bill of Rights

27. A New Constitution • Symbol of Freedom • US had the most progressive government of the day • US Constitution would be copied and adapted over and over throughout history