1. The Enlightenment and Great Awakening

2.  Challenged the authority of the church in science and philosophy – human reasoning  Believed that natural laws applied to social, political and economic relationships  Emphasis on logic and reasoning – rationalism

3.  John Locke: writer/philosopher  Essay on Human Understanding  contradicts the church’s theory of people being born with sin  Believed in blank slate  Believed people have rights and society can be improved  Baron Montesquieu: writer/philosopher  Suggested the idea of three types of government; executive, judicial and legislative  Checks and balances  Separation of powers

4.  Religious movement that swept both Europe and the colonies  Americans renewed their Christian faith  Spread through revivals; large public gathering for preaching and prayer

5.  Jonathan Edwards:  Massachusetts preacher and philosopher, sought to restore New England’s spiritual intensity - Terrifying sermons - Persons must repent and convert – the idea of being “born again”  Growth of Methodists and Baptists  Laid the social foundations for the American Revolution