Intro/Thesis:
The Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment sparked the American Revolution by creating a revolution of ideas about equality and a common identity. The importance of oneness and an egalitarian Nation was prominent in both movements, and helped shape the American identity. Through the Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment, social barriers broke down. The common people held the power; traditional authority dissolved, and America’s society no longer resembled Great Britain’s hierarchical structure. The American people’s unity helped establish their own Nation, independent from Great Britain.
I. Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening occurred during the mid 18th century. It was a movement of religious revivals …show more content…
American Enlightenment:
During the American Enlightenment, the people of the New World followed a set of values that helped strengthen the newfound nation’s common identity. The Americans became a cohesive nation with the Enlightenment values at its foundation. The people believed they were special and the most enlightened people in the world. Similar to the First Great Awakening, the Enlightenment transformed the American society to be more egalitarian; its values consisted of the ideas that all men were created equal. Furthermore, the only thing separating men from one another was their education and opportunities.
The idea that education was key in strengthening individuals abilities was based from Lockean Sensationalism, which argued that “knowledge came less from reason and more from sense experience.” Locke’s idea of tabula rasa, or a blank slate at birth- only to be affected by one 's surroundings- emphasized the capabilities of the common people. Everyone was capable of refinement and education as long as the environment was adequate. The Enlightenment brought about the concept of a homogeneous people, and a nation that was more cohesive. For this reason, education was provided for ordinary people. Bejamin Rush stated that by doing so, it would “produce ‘one general and uniform system of education’ in order to ‘render the mass of the people more homogenous, and thereby fit them more easily for uniform and peaceable government.’” Unlike many other nations, elites …show more content…
Thomas Paine mainly argued passionately for the separation of the New World from Great Britain. He noted that the King was the root of the problem. He discussed the benefits from severing the relationship, and also continued to write about the people’s natural rights. Some of Paine’s views were later echoed in the Declaration of Independence. His pamphlet was quickly, and widely received by an accepting audience. Paine had purposefully made the document accessible and understandable to the common people in order to spread his argument around efficiently. Common Sense expressed the Nations’ thoughts in words; it coincided with the ideals from the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment. Paine wrote: “This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of
The Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment sparked the American Revolution by creating a revolution of ideas about equality and a common identity. The importance of oneness and an egalitarian Nation was prominent in both movements, and helped shape the American identity. Through the Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment, social barriers broke down. The common people held the power; traditional authority dissolved, and America’s society no longer resembled Great Britain’s hierarchical structure. The American people’s unity helped establish their own Nation, independent from Great Britain.
I. Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening occurred during the mid 18th century. It was a movement of religious revivals …show more content…
American Enlightenment:
During the American Enlightenment, the people of the New World followed a set of values that helped strengthen the newfound nation’s common identity. The Americans became a cohesive nation with the Enlightenment values at its foundation. The people believed they were special and the most enlightened people in the world. Similar to the First Great Awakening, the Enlightenment transformed the American society to be more egalitarian; its values consisted of the ideas that all men were created equal. Furthermore, the only thing separating men from one another was their education and opportunities.
The idea that education was key in strengthening individuals abilities was based from Lockean Sensationalism, which argued that “knowledge came less from reason and more from sense experience.” Locke’s idea of tabula rasa, or a blank slate at birth- only to be affected by one 's surroundings- emphasized the capabilities of the common people. Everyone was capable of refinement and education as long as the environment was adequate. The Enlightenment brought about the concept of a homogeneous people, and a nation that was more cohesive. For this reason, education was provided for ordinary people. Bejamin Rush stated that by doing so, it would “produce ‘one general and uniform system of education’ in order to ‘render the mass of the people more homogenous, and thereby fit them more easily for uniform and peaceable government.’” Unlike many other nations, elites …show more content…
Thomas Paine mainly argued passionately for the separation of the New World from Great Britain. He noted that the King was the root of the problem. He discussed the benefits from severing the relationship, and also continued to write about the people’s natural rights. Some of Paine’s views were later echoed in the Declaration of Independence. His pamphlet was quickly, and widely received by an accepting audience. Paine had purposefully made the document accessible and understandable to the common people in order to spread his argument around efficiently. Common Sense expressed the Nations’ thoughts in words; it coincided with the ideals from the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment. Paine wrote: “This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of