1. Enlightenment and the American Revolution
World History B – Seminar 2
Warm Up: Define the following terms on your illustrated dictionary definitions sheet Philosophe 2. Natural rights

2. Definitions Philosophe
Member of a group of Enlightenment thinkers who tried to apply the methods of science to the improvement of society
Natural Law
Rule or law that governs human nature
Natural Right
Right that belongs to all humans from birth
Enlightenment
Revolution in thinking. Through the use of reason, people and governments could solve every social, political and economic problem.

3. Enlightenment and the American Revolution
Natural right
Right that belongs to all humans from birth
Rule of Law
Government by Law. The rule of law implies that government authority may only be exercised in accordance with written laws, which were adopted through an established procedure.

4. The Philosophy of Unalienable Rights Advances
John Locke
1690
People first lived in anarchy
Needed a “social contract”
An entire society agrees to be governed by its general will, and all individuals should be forced to abide by the general will since it represents what is best for the entire community.
People gave up only SOME of their individual rights.
Kept the right to: - Live - Enjoy Liberty - Own Property
Rulers who violated these “natural” rights broke the social contract and could be overthrown.

5. Enlightenment and the American Revolution From Wrongs to Rights!
One great concept which drove the American Revolution against Great Britain in 1776 and defined the creation of the United States of America is the idea of obtaining “natural rights” for Americans.
Warm Up: Create a bubble map using the term “natural rights.”

6. Enlightenment and the American Revolution Create a bubble map.

7. The Philosophes
Denis Diderot – put together a collection of the writings of the major philosophes. Was an intellectual “best seller.”
Montesquieu – Described the “perfect” government. Power provided evenly over three branches of government - SEPARATION OF POWERS
a. Legislative – Made laws (Congress)
b. Executive – Administered laws (President, army, etc.)
c. Judicial – Interpreted and applied laws.
(Supreme Court and lesser courts.)
Montesquieu believed each branch should be subject to checks and balances.

8. Separation of Powers Draw a triangle like the one here.
Montesquieu’s idea was used in the United States Constitution.
Draw a triangle like the one here.

9. Separation of Powers Executive Branch Judiciary Branch Supreme Court
Montesquieu’s idea was used in the United States Constitution.
Executive Branch
Judiciary Branch
President
Supreme Court
Congress
Legislative Branch
Lawmaking

10. Checks and Balances

11. Philosophes, cont.
Voltaire – Used public opinion to fight injustice. “I do not agree with a word you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.” Believed the perfect government needed freedom of speech and of religion.

12. Philosophes, cont.
Rousseau – Wrote the “Social Contract.” Believed that people were born good, but corrupted by the environment, bad government, and laws. He believed the best government used POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY or a vote by all of the people.

13. Women and the Enlightenment
“Free and equal” did not apply to women
Mary Wollstonecraft – 1792 – argued in “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” that a woman should be able to decide what was in her own best interest – not her husband or father.

14. Beccaria Argued that punishments should not be cruel or brutal
Opposed capital punishment (death penalty)
“Is is not absurd, that the laws, which punish murder, should, in order to prevent murder, publicly commit murder themselves.”

15. Growth of Constitutional Government
Government whose power is defined and limited by law.
British Constitution = Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, all Acts of Parliament and unwritten traditions that protect citizens’ rights.
British government not totally democratic.
Oligarchy
Government in which the ruling power belongs to a few people.

16. Causes of the American Revolution
SEVEN YEARS WAR (French and Indian War)
Conflict between the British and the French in their North American colonies
Fought over Ohio River Valley and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Native Americans fought on the French side.
American colonists fought on the British side.
British win. War EXPENSIVE!
All French territory in Canada transferred to the British.

17. Causes of the American Revolution (page 539)
The War Begins
Foreign Support and British Defeat.

18. Causes of the American Revolution (page 539)
The War Begins
Foreign Support and British Defeat
French and Indian War drained British treasury.
Stamp Act: Britain passed and enforced new tax law on the colonists
“No taxation without representation.”
Colonists felt entitled to the rights of English citizens.
First Continental Congress meets in 1774 with 13 colonies
Fighting begins at Lexington and Concord in 1775.
George Washington Commander in Chief
Second Continental Congress signs the Declaration of Independence: July 4, Writer =
Thomas Jefferson
French supplied arms, officers and money to rebels
Spain and Dutch Republic entered the war against Great Britain.
British surrender in 1781 with Treaty of Paris
Recognized American independence
Americans gain control of western territory from Appalachians to Mississippi River.

19. Causes of the American Revolution
British taxed colonies to pay for French and Indian War.
Stamp Act (1765) – required that certain printed materials such as legal documents, newspapers and playing cards, carry a stamp saying that a tax had been paid to Britain.
Tea Act – Tea could be purchased only from British merchants and was also taxed.
Boston Tea Party
Intolerable Acts – closed Boston Harbor, rescinded Massachusetts charter, quartered troops in private homes.
Declaration of Independence

20. Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence
In January of 1776 an Englishman named Thomas Paine published a small book called Common Sense. The book said all kings in general, especially George III of England, were bad. The book also stated that America must be free. This book became a best-seller. It made Americans believe that America should be a free and independent nation.

21. Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson
People had the right to “alter or abolish unjust governments.”
(Locke)
Popular sovereignty All government power comes from the people.
King had trampled the peoples’ natural rights.
Colonists now had the right to rebel

22. Declaration of Independence

23. Declaration of Independence
Unalienable Rights
From the “Declaration of Independence” written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776.
“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness; that to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”

24. Declaration of Independence
Grievances against England listed in the Declaration of Independence.
1. Define unalienable rights.
2. What is one example of such a right?
3. Create a Circle Map of some of the Grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. Be sure to include the date that the Declaration was signed!

25. Declaration of Independence
Text of the Declaration of Independence –
Paraphrase of the Declaration of Independence

26. Articles of Confederation

27. Why did the Articles of Confederation Fail?

28. The Constitution
Used ideas of Locke, Montesquieu, Rousseau and Voltaire
Created a Federal Republic
Government in which power is divided between the national, or federal government, and the states.
Separation of powers
Bill of Rights added later.
Federalist Papers – Writing campaign to convince American citizens to ratify the new Constitution
George Washington – first President of the United States of America.

29. Popular Sovereignty People Rule
The people hold supreme rule – elected officials

30. Limited Government
The power of the government is limited by the Constitution.
The process of creating laws is set forth in the Constitution.
The powers and duties of all government branches are determined by the Constitution.

31. Republicanism
A republic is a nation governed by elected representatives.
These representatives may be removed from office by a vote if they abuse their powers.

32. Federalism
Federalism: Power shared between national and state governments. National government takes the lead in running the country.
Federal: national defense, immigration, foreign policy, national issues.
State: local education, licenses, safety, state taxation, etc.

33. Separation of Powers The main powers of the government are divided.
There are three branches of government.

34. Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers were a writing campaign to convince American citizens to ratify the new Constitution.

35. Bill of Rights
In a number of states, Federalists won the battle over ratification only because they had offered to support several amendments to the Constitution designed to promote citizen’s rights. These 10 amendments came to be called the Bill of Rights.