Chapter 17: The Enlightenment and American Revolution Section 1: Philosophy in the Age of Reason Scientific Revolution Sparks the Enlightenment The Scientific Revolution changed the way Europeans viewed the world Educated Europeans lived by natural laws: discovered by reason They studied human behavior to solve societal problems This evolved into the revolution in thinking known as the Enlightenment

Hobbes and Locke have conflicting views Both of these men were key Enlightenment thinkers Thomas Hobbes believed in a powerful government to control people in their natural state He believed in the Social Contract and in an Absolute Monarchy In contrast, John Locke believed people were basically good and had natural rights Locke rejected Absolute Monarchy and favored Democracy He also believed in the right of the people to overthrow the government if it fails them

His ideas would have an effect on the American Revolution The Philosophes Some Enlightenment Thinkers applied science to improve society They believed that the use of reason could reform all areas of society Baron de Montesquieu studied world governments and was critical of Absolute Monarchs In his book The Spirit of the Laws, he argues that the best governments are divided into different branches (legislative, executive and judicial) Vocab pg 544, 3-5 pg 548

Montesquieu also believed in checks and balances The most famous philosophe was Voltaire He believed in saying what he thought Despite being exiled by the government and the Church, he defended the principle of free speech Denis Diderot produced a set of books called the Encyclopedia They contained articles by leading thinkers of the day They were criticized by the government and the church

Despite this, the Encyclopedia influenced Europe and the Americas Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that people were naturally good, but corrupted by society He believed that government should be freely elected, but place controls on people (Social Contract) Philosophes argued that women had natural rights, but were limited to home and family Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women which argued for the rights of women

New Economic Thinking Economic thinkers were known as physiocrats They believed in a natural law of economics They were anti mercantilist, and favored laissez faire They supported free trade and were opposed to tariffs Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations He believed that all aspects of the economy were fueled by supply and demand He believed in Laissez Faire but believed in strong governments to protect the citizens

Section 2: Enlightenment Ideas Spread Enlightenment thinkers found traditional beliefs flawed The Challenge of New Ideas All levels of society accepted Enlightenment ideas Middle-class men met in coffeehouses to discuss new ideas People began to challenge old ways and wanted to achieve a just society Pre-enlightenment thinking included divine right rule strict class system heavenly reward for earthly suffering

Post Enlightenment thinking included material well being social justice happiness in this world Enlightenment thinking alarmed both the Church and the government who believed the old system was put there by God They began a policy of censorship Despite this Enlightenment writers found ways to get published Enlightenment thinkers gathered in salons to share their ideas Salons became places where even women could share ideas

Enlightened Despots Enlightened Despots were absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change Some of these rulers included: Frederick the Great Catherine the Great Joseph II Despite their reforms, these rulers, except Joseph, maintained absolute power The Arts and Literature Like the rest of society, artists adapted to changing times

Changes in art, music and literature all reflected the changing mood of society and were opened up to all members of society Lives of the Majority In western Europe peasant life improved during the Enlightenment Despite some change, some serfdom survived Vocab pg 550, 3-6 pg 555

Section 3: Birth of the American Republic Britain Becomes a Global Power Several reasons Britain was a global force: -location -climate -most dominate country in Europe -offered free trade with few restrictions King George III re-affirmed royal power and gave seats in parliament to friends The Colonies in the Mid 1700’s The colonies were very prosperous for Britain They were beginning to develop their own distinct culture from Britain however

Colonists Express Discontent King George III believed the colonists should help pay for Britain's costly wars These taxes led to the phrase “no taxation without representation” Tensions began to elevate between the colonists and Britain -Boston Massacre -Boston Tea Party Eventually in 1776 the Colonists declare their independence from England The Declaration of Independence contained key elements from European Enlightenment thinkers

The American Revolution Continues Colonists were well outmatched by Britain They had some advantages however: -geography -determination -Help from France Eventually in 1781 the colonists prevail and win the war Treaty of Paris officially ends the war Britain was forced to recognize the independence of the United States Vocab pg 557, 3-6 pg 563