What was one significant effect of the enlightenment in european and colonial society?

Enlightenment ideas spread throughout the colonies and had a major impact on many colonists supporting the Revolutionary cause. The Enlightenment began in the 1600's in Europe with philosophers from Britain, France and other European countries. Their ideas promoted social change and questioned traditional leadership. This led to many revolutions throughout the period and created a sense of empowerment among citizens who were unhappy with their government. With the rise of the printing press, Enlightenment ideas spread to the American colonies in the 1700’s. These ideas influenced prominent philosophers in the colonies to write essays, almanacs and pamphlets that encouraged colonists to adopt Enlightenment beliefs in freedom, justice, and liberty.

“Two Treatises of Government” was an essay written in 1689 by John Locke. Locke was an English philosopher and one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment. His two part essay criticizes monarchy as a total power.

Locke argued that all men are created equal in the state of nature by God and reasons that the only legitimate governments are those that have the consent of the people. Therefore, any government that rules without the consent of the people can, in theory, be overthrown. Clearly, this was a radical proposal at the time because of how it could inspire people to overthrow the English Crown.

“Poor Richard’s Almanack” was written by Benjamin Franklin. The almanac was published yearly and included a calendar, weather predictions, business and financial advice, and sayings. Some of Benjamin Franklin’s sayings were influential to developing thoughts and ideas among the colonies. One such saying, “Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power” was an important message due to the fact that Britain was exerting more and more control over the colonies. Benjamin Franklin believed the colonies should unite together against British rule.  Because many people could not afford books, the almanac served as literature for the masses and many people were exposed to these ideas.

“Common Sense” was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that was published in 1776. In this pamphlet Thomas Paine condemned monarchy and urged colonists to declare independence and create their own form of government. Paine appealed to many people with his pamphlet.

He stated that Britain was not protecting the colonies and that the New World was an asylum for the persecuted. Paine felt that the government should protect life, liberty and property. He believed that people would be happier if they were responsible for the laws that ruled them and so colonies should set up a democratic republic free from England.

Many of Paine’s ideas were far ahead of his time. He advocated for a comprehensive program of state support for the population to ensure the welfare of society, including subsidies for poor people, state-financed universal public education, and state-sponsored prenatal care and postnatal care. Recognizing that a person's "labor ought to be over" before old age, Paine also called for a state pension to all workers starting at age 50. However, his "fervent objections to slavery" led to his exclusion from power during the early years of America, when slaveholders from Virginia and the South held power.

Terms in this set (53)

"In England so great a Regard and Reverence is had to the Judges, that if any man strike another in Westminster Hall, while the Judges are sitting, he shall lose his Right Hand, and forfeit his Land and Goods, for so doing. And tho' the Judges here claim all the Powers and Authorities within this Government, that a Court of King's Bench has in England, yet I believe Mr. Attorney will scarcely say, that such a Punishment could be legally inflicted on a Man for committing such an Offence, in the Presence of the Judges sitting in any Court within the Province of New-York. The Reason is obvious; a Quarrel or Riot in New-York cannot possibly be attended with those dangerous Consequences that it might in Westminster Hall; nor (I hope) will it be alledged, that any Misbehaviour to a Governor in the Plantations will, or ought to be, judged of or punished, as a like Undutifulness would be to Our Sovereign."

According to Andrew Hamilton, attorney representing Peter Zenger, how were the laws of the colonies related to the laws of England?

"Mr. Hamilton. May it please Your Honour; I agree with Mr. Attorney, that Government is a sacred Thing, but I differ very widely from him when he would insinuate, that the just Complaints of a Number of Men, who suffer under a bad Administration, is libelling that Administration. Had I believed that to be Law, I should not have given the Court the Trouble of hearing any Thing that I could say in this cause. . . . What strange Doctrine is it, to press every Thing for Law here which is so in England? I believe we should not think it a Favour, at present at least, to establish this Practice. In England so great a Regard and Reverence is had to the Judges, that if any man strike another in Westminster Hall, while the Judges are sitting, he shall lose his Right Hand, and forfeit his Land and Goods, for so doing."

At the libel trial of Peter Zenger in 1736 in New York, Andrew Hamilton argued that Zenger should be...

"In general then I rise at five o'Clock in the morning, read till Seven, then take a walk in the garden or field, see that the Servants [slaves] are at their respective business, then to breakfast. The first hour after breakfast is spent at my musick, the next is constantly employed in recolecting something I have learned least . . . , such as French and short hand. . . . I devote the rest of the time till I dress for dinner to our little Polly and two black girls who I teach to read, and if I have my papa's approbation (my Mamas I have got) I intend [them] for school mistres's for the rest of the Negroe children. . . . [After dinner, musick and then] the rest of the afternoon in Needle work till candle light, and from that time to bed read or write. . . ."

From Eliza Lucas's Letter to Miss Bartlett (c. 1742), it can be concluded that Lucas belongs to which social class?

Sets with similar terms

What was the most significant effect of the Enlightenment on European society?

What were the effects of the Enlightenment in Europe?

What was the effect of the Enlightenment on the colonies?

What is the significance of the Enlightenment period in Europe?