How Did The Enlightenment Influence American Society

Many unforgettable events from the past influenced society as we know it today. Many people such as John Locke, Charles de Montesquieu, and Voltaire; François-Marie Arouet, were all philosophers in their time. They all came from the period in time known as the Enlightenment. American society is the way that it is today because of the ideas of philosophers from the Enlightenment. Locke and Montesquieu both contributed by influencing ideas for American society today. Voltaire fought for freedom of religion, and plus, their ideas end up in the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence. The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement based on reason and thought. (Littell) It made a huge impact on many things around the world. The Enlightenment; known as the Age of Reason, lasted from 1685 to 1815. (Staff) Throughout all over Europe, there have been many Enlightenment thinkers spreading from Britain to France. (Staff) Many things were influenced by the ideals coming from the Enlightenment. The American and French Revolutions were directly inspired by Enlightenment ideals. (Staff). The Enlightenment inspired many thinkers to come up with many arguments and facts that we know today. They paved the way for the Scientific Revolution. (Staff) …show more content…
(Holland) Voltaire has contributed to society with his beliefs. On soapboxie.com it explains that Voltaire was a was a French Writer who was famous for his book titled “Candide” in which he states: “It is up to us to cultivate our own garden”. (Holland; A3) Voltaire is implying that we can’t always rely on our government to help us, we have to take matters into our own hands. Voltaire, according to Holland, “...was a strong believer in freedom of religion, freedom of expression, free trade and separation of church and state.” (Holland;