Enlightment
- Submitted by: elizabethandrade
- Views: 609
- Category: History: American
- Date Submitted: 02/16/2011 05:04 PM
- Pages: 2
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1775 was the year the american revoluition began. It played a huge role in shaping america as we know it today. We complished great things thanks to the ideas of early enlightment wrighters John Locke, Monesaieu, Jean Jaques Roussen, and Voltaire. Even though most of their ideas were realized in the founding documents, John Lockes idea on “equality” didn’t reach its full potential untill years later.
The main idea of monesaieu was seperation of powers. He believed that not just one person should hold complete power in government, but that it should be seperated equally with branches. We see this today in the three branches of government and the checks and balances. Jean Jaques Roussen believed that government should be by the consent if the governed. He didn’t aporove of things like “taxation witoout represintation” and believed that the people were more important to the government that the king. His thoughts are shown in the preamble. Voltaire believed in freedom of speech, that you have the right to say what you want and share your opinions without any type of penalty. The ideaas of these threee men can clearly be seen in the founding documennts and shape every part of our lifes today.
John Locke was a very influental person during the revolution. He beleieved that every man was born with certain “natrual rights.” Those rights included life liberty and property. He basicallly argued that every human being deserved equiality. Even though his thoughts are seen in the constitutuion, back then, most people considered the “man” as a white male. Black men, indians, or women had no rights, so there really was no equallity until the amendments were passed to change all that.
In my opinion, the ideas of the american revolution were realized in the founding documents but only to a certain extent. What we consider equality today isnt the same as what was believe in the 1700’s. So John Lockes ideas weren’t fully understood.
The main idea of monesaieu was seperation of powers. He believed that not just one person should hold complete power in government, but that it should be seperated equally with branches. We see this today in the three branches of government and the checks and balances. Jean Jaques Roussen believed that government should be by the consent if the governed. He didn’t aporove of things like “taxation witoout represintation” and believed that the people were more important to the government that the king. His thoughts are shown in the preamble. Voltaire believed in freedom of speech, that you have the right to say what you want and share your opinions without any type of penalty. The ideaas of these threee men can clearly be seen in the founding documennts and shape every part of our lifes today.
John Locke was a very influental person during the revolution. He beleieved that every man was born with certain “natrual rights.” Those rights included life liberty and property. He basicallly argued that every human being deserved equiality. Even though his thoughts are seen in the constitutuion, back then, most people considered the “man” as a white male. Black men, indians, or women had no rights, so there really was no equallity until the amendments were passed to change all that.
In my opinion, the ideas of the american revolution were realized in the founding documents but only to a certain extent. What we consider equality today isnt the same as what was believe in the 1700’s. So John Lockes ideas weren’t fully understood.