The Enlightenment was the root of many of the ideas of the American Revolution. It was a movement that focused mostly on freedom of speech, equality, freedom of the press, and religious tolerance. There were many enlightenment thinkers, but only 3 of many stood out to contribute to the ideas that led to the American revolution and still have an impact today. Montesquieu , John Locke, Thomas Hobbes thought different influencing American colonies, their opinions on the role of government, and how their ideas still influence us to this day.
The ideals of the enlightenment had major factors on the colony's self governing. One of the first philosophers Thomas Hobbes, an English man who wrote a book named “Levithian” concluding that people are unable to rule themselves, mainly because most of us are self centered and depend on a strong leader. Later philosophers like Montesquieu, Locke, Voltaire were more optimistic about democracy. Questioning the thought of absolute monarchy.
John locke’s idea that every human has certain rights not given to them by law …show more content…
According to Locke, the natural rights of individuals limited the power of the king. The king did not hold absolute power, as Hobbes had said, but acted only to enforce and protect the natural rights of the people. If a sovereign violated these rights, the social contract was broken and the people had the right to revolt and establish a new government. Montesquieu wrote that the main purpose of government is to maintain law and order, political liberty, and the property of the individual. During the American revolution everything was opposite, Britain the “mother country” wanted to make as much money from the 13 colonies by taxing, enforcing laws, and even more taxing. Acts that caused the American revolution were indeed intolerable acts, taxing, and the first continental congress due to the Boston
The ideals of the enlightenment had major factors on the colony's self governing. One of the first philosophers Thomas Hobbes, an English man who wrote a book named “Levithian” concluding that people are unable to rule themselves, mainly because most of us are self centered and depend on a strong leader. Later philosophers like Montesquieu, Locke, Voltaire were more optimistic about democracy. Questioning the thought of absolute monarchy.
John locke’s idea that every human has certain rights not given to them by law …show more content…
According to Locke, the natural rights of individuals limited the power of the king. The king did not hold absolute power, as Hobbes had said, but acted only to enforce and protect the natural rights of the people. If a sovereign violated these rights, the social contract was broken and the people had the right to revolt and establish a new government. Montesquieu wrote that the main purpose of government is to maintain law and order, political liberty, and the property of the individual. During the American revolution everything was opposite, Britain the “mother country” wanted to make as much money from the 13 colonies by taxing, enforcing laws, and even more taxing. Acts that caused the American revolution were indeed intolerable acts, taxing, and the first continental congress due to the Boston