1. THE SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION AND AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT 1550-1789

2. PART 1 REGENTS NOTES

3. SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
The Scientific Revolution had the greatest influence on the Enlightenment ideas of natural law and reason
Scientists questioned traditional beliefs about the universe
Observation and experimentation were central ideas

4. COPERNICUS AND GALILEO
Galileo Galilei’s observations supported the theories of Nicholas Copernicus
They were both astronomers who supported the heliocentric theory (planets revolve around the sun)
Their ideas developed into the scientific method (logical procedure for gathering and testing ideas)

5. HELIOCENTRIC THEORY
SCIENTIFIC METHOD

6. ENLIGHTENMENT IDEAS
Central belief = the use of reason would lead to human progress
Philosophers of this period believed society could be best improved by applying reason and the laws of nature
Similar to the Scientific Revolution because this movement encouraged the spread of new ideas
Similar to the Renaissance because a new questioning spirit and attitude emerged

7. ENLIGHTENMENT POLITICAL VIEWS
European political thinkers who supported this movement believed governments should protect the rights of people
They also supported representative democracy
Writers during this period wanted to change the relationship between people and their government

8. JOHN LOCKE Important Enlightenment philosopher from England
Believed the purpose of government was to protect the natural rights of people (life, liberty, property)
Governments should be based on the consent of the people
He directly influenced the following phrase located in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…”

9. BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
Enlightenment philosopher who wrote The Spirit of Laws
He believed in separating the government into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial
Three branches of government would prevent tyrants from rising to power

10. ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHERS
John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Voltaire all believed in establishing a democratic republic (people elect their leaders)
Their ideas influenced movements for political reform and revolutions in Europe and the Americas

11. PART 2 CHAPTER 22 NOTES

12. SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION
Scholars in Europe during the mid-1500s replaced old assumptions with new theories
This was a new way of thinking about the natural world
New way = careful observation and a willingness to question accepted beliefs

13. HELIOCENTRIC THEORY Presented by Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus
Heliocentric Theory = the stars, Earth, and other planets revolved around the sun
This challenged the geocentric theory that stated all heavenly bodies revolved around the Earth
Geocentric theory was supported by Greek philosopher, Aristotle, Greek astronomer, Ptolemy, and Christianity

14. GALILEO GALILEI
Italian scientist who built upon Copernicus’ ideas about astronomy
He built and used his own telescope in 1609 to study the heavens
Discovered 4 moons orbiting Jupiter, the sun’s dark spots, and the moon’s surface was rough and uneven
In 1633, he was forced to confess to the Catholic Church that the ideas of Copernicus were false, otherwise he would have faced torture

15. SCIENTIFIC METHOD Developed by Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes
Modern scientific methods are based on their ideas
Scientists have shown that observation and experimentation, together with general laws expressed by mathematics, can help people better understand the natural world
Scientific Method = observation-> question-> hypothesis-> experimentation-> conclusion

16. ISAAC NEWTON
English scientist who discovered the law of universal gravitation
Law = all physical objects are affected equally by the same force; this force ruled the motion of the planets and all matter on Earth and in space
Every object in the universe attracts every other object
The degree of attraction depends upon the mass of the objects and the distance between them
He believed that God created the universe to function perfectly according to mathematics

17. THE ENLIGHTENMENT
This was a revolution in intellectual activity that changed Europeans’ view of government and society
Scientific Revolution led to the Enlightenment which was a movement stressing the use of reason and logic
The literate middle class, thinkers and artists, and American colonists were all influenced by this movement

18. THOMAS HOBBES
English political thinker who distrusted humans and favored a strong government to keep order
In his book Leviathan (1651), Hobbes promotes social contract, which is achieving order in society by giving power to an absolute monarch

19. JOHN LOCKE English philosopher who criticized absolute monarchy
Consent of the Governed = he proclaimed that governments get their power from the people
Stresses that people have a right to overthrow an unjust government
Natural rights = he believed that all people are born free and equal and have the right to life, liberty, and property
His ideas directly influenced the American Revolution and our Constitution

20. PHILOSOPHES Philiosphes is the French word for philosophers
They believed progress (improvement) for society could be achieved through reason, nature, happiness, and liberty
Salons = regular social gatherings where philosophers, writers, artists, and scientists met to spread Enlightenment thinking; began in Paris

21. VOLTAIRE
French philosopher who fought for tolerance, reason, freedom of religious belief, and freedom of speech
Made powerful enemies and was imprisoned twice for his views
His view on religious freedom directly influenced our First Amendment in the U.S. Bill of Rights

22. BARON DE MONTESQUIEU
French writer who favored separation of powers to keep one body from completely running a government
He believed in three branches of government – legislative, executive, and judicial
In his book, On the Spirit of Laws (1748), he explains the concept of “checks and balances”

23. JEAN JACQUES ROSSEAU
Believed that civilization corrupted people’s natural goodness
He believed that the only good government was one that was freely formed by the people and guided by the “general will” of society
His book, The Social Contract (1762), explains the idea of a direct democracy

24. NEOCLASSICAL STYLE
Pre-Enlightenment art style was baroque - grand and ornate designs (over-the-top)
Enlightenment style was neoclassical, which emphasized elegance and simplicity
New style was based on Greek and Roman themes
Classical music emerges – lighter and more elegant than earlier style; led by composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven

25. ENLIGHTENED DESPOTS
Monarchs who embraced Enlightenment values to strengthen their rule
Frederick II - king of Prussia (1740 to 1786); reforms education and justice system, grants freedom of worship, and abolishes torture
Catherine the Great – ruler of Russia (1762 to 1796); she responded to a peasant revolt by giving nobles more power over serfs and successfully expanded the Russian empire by seizing northern coast of Black Sea and large parts of Poland

26. AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Enlightenment ideas swept through Europe as well as colonial America
The spirit of questioning during the Scientific Revolution influenced the American Revolution because it led to challenging ideas about government
After England passed the Stamp Act in 1765, American colonists accused Parliament of “taxation without representation” which was a violation of their “natural rights”
The colonists won the American Revolution (1775 to 1781) due to a strong motivation to fight for their land, mistakes made by British generals, guerilla warfare, and the British having to fight an overseas war

27. DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Written by Thomas Jefferson and issued on July 4th, 1776
Colonial leaders used Enlightenment ideas to justify independence
John Locke’s natural laws of life, liberty, and property, as well as the pursuit of happiness, were incorporated into the actual document

28. ARTICLES OF CONFEDRATION
In 1781, the original 13 States created a government with a legislature only (Congress) and no executive or judicial branches
Result was a weak national government that failed to provide unity and order

29. UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION
Leaders call the Constitutional Convention in 1787 to revise the Articles
In 1787, the Constitution creates three branches of government
Provides checks and balances - ensures branches share power equally
Promotes federal system - power divided between national and state governments

30. BILL OF RIGHTS
Some Americans feared too much national power and few protections of rights
Leaders won support for creating a new Constitution by adding a Bill of Rights (completed in 1789 and ratified in 1791)
Bill of Rights = the first ten amendments to Constitution that protect human freedoms and civil liberties
The Bill of Rights was influenced by John Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau