Patrick Kelly
Laguna Beach High School
How Equality Changed The World The Enlightenment was a philosophical awakening that took place in Europe during the 18 and 17th century, at its origin in Europe the Enlightenment gave citizens stuck in unfair systems of government new ways to think. As History.com once said ,(2016), “Participants thought they were illuminating human intellect and culture after the “dark” middle ages.” (p. 2). Ideals such as equality and the Enlightenment itself spread globally influencing critical founding documents of multiple countries including the U.S Constitution, Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the Haitian Constitution of 1801. Equality was one of the first ideals coming of the Enlightenment, equality’s central idea was that all people were equal and no single person is greater than another. It was the most important ideal because …show more content…
At the time France utilized the ancient feudal system in which the people fell into various inescapable social classes, as enlightenment ideals such as equality grew people in the bottom of this system saw they could have a chance at a better life. At first the French government agreed to let the peasants have some say but after literally locking them out of government the people revolted to abolish the class system and restore equality. When this new Government came to power the Declaration Of The Rights Of Man was drafted and signed to maintain peace and equality in the new France. The document reflected the people 's need for equality by nearly being built around it stating, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.” and “All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations”. (French National Assembly. Declaration of the Rights of man. 1789