Declaration of Independence and Enlightenment
“No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience” (Locke) .The Declaration of Independence is a document written by Thomas Jefferson over the course of many days, and signed on July 4th, 1776, stating that the thirteen American colonies are no longer part of the British Empire. The Enlightenment and Declaration of Independence were heavily influenced by each other. The Enlightenment was an era from the 1620s to 1780s, when people started to question old ideas and teachings of the Catholic Church. John Locke, one of the many great Enlightenment thinkers, was an English philosopher who was regarded as one the most influential people of the time. The Declaration of Independence was both influenced by and influenced the Enlightenment by including and expanding upon the ideas of the Enlightenment (stockdale). The declaration of independence was a simple, straightforward …show more content…
A big movement that challenged the Roman Catholic Church, was humanism. This was “a period that celebrated human thought and rejected the constraints of religious orthodoxy” (Enlightenment). The Enlightenment helped explain nature and how things work through reason. During the Enlightenment people would ask more questions and wouldn't accept an answer without proper reason. While Enlightenment thinkers started to ask questions, they began to doubt the Catholic Church, using “logic to defy the Church’s teachings” (Enlightenment). John Locke and the Enlightenment highly influenced the Declaration of Independence. Locke stated that everyone has the “right to life, liberty, and property” (Locke). This idea was used in the declaration of Independence, however was changed by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence to, “everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson)
“No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience” (Locke) .The Declaration of Independence is a document written by Thomas Jefferson over the course of many days, and signed on July 4th, 1776, stating that the thirteen American colonies are no longer part of the British Empire. The Enlightenment and Declaration of Independence were heavily influenced by each other. The Enlightenment was an era from the 1620s to 1780s, when people started to question old ideas and teachings of the Catholic Church. John Locke, one of the many great Enlightenment thinkers, was an English philosopher who was regarded as one the most influential people of the time. The Declaration of Independence was both influenced by and influenced the Enlightenment by including and expanding upon the ideas of the Enlightenment (stockdale). The declaration of independence was a simple, straightforward …show more content…
A big movement that challenged the Roman Catholic Church, was humanism. This was “a period that celebrated human thought and rejected the constraints of religious orthodoxy” (Enlightenment). The Enlightenment helped explain nature and how things work through reason. During the Enlightenment people would ask more questions and wouldn't accept an answer without proper reason. While Enlightenment thinkers started to ask questions, they began to doubt the Catholic Church, using “logic to defy the Church’s teachings” (Enlightenment). John Locke and the Enlightenment highly influenced the Declaration of Independence. Locke stated that everyone has the “right to life, liberty, and property” (Locke). This idea was used in the declaration of Independence, however was changed by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence to, “everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson)