I. Enlightenment Thinkers and Ideas A. Began in the 17 th and 18 th Century B. Hobbes 1.Wrote the Leviathan 2.Believed people were selfish and ambitious 3.Wrote that people needed to be ruled by an absolute monarchy

C. Locke 1.Wrote the Two Treatises of Government 2.Believed that humans by nature had the right to life, liberty and property

C. Locke 3. Power comes from the people and they have the right to rebel 4. This philosophy is the cornerstone of democracy

D. Voltaire 1. A French historian 2. Argued for tolerance, freedom of religion, and free speech

E. Rousseau 1.Wrote the Social Contract 2.Only legitimate government comes from the consent of the people

F. Montesquieu 1. Came up with the idea of having a separation of powers 2. Judicial, Executive, & Legistlature

II. American Democracy A. American protest British Policies 1. Americans protest the practice of Britain taxing the colonist without parliament representation 2. The Stamp Act and the Quarterly Act set off riots

B. Americans win Independence 1. The revolution began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord 2. Used many of Locke’s ideas of government

C. Enlightenment ideas shape the constitution 1. The big discussion was “can a government share power?” 2. Separated the country between federal and state power

III. French Revolution A. Causes of Revolution 1. Middle class and nobles were inspired by the ideas of a social contract 2. Peasants suffered from a poor harvest

B. Early Reforms of the Revolution 1. Adopted the Declaration of the Rights of Man 2. A legislative Assembly took over the country