User:Clord18/sandbox

Influence of the Enlightenment on the Formation of the United States A study of the formation of the American colonies and the country after the American Revolution reveals that many of the actions taken to free America as well as the type of government that was created and laws that were set in place after the revolution were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thinkers. To begin with, many of the key figures in America's revolution were directly students of the enlightenment. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, believed strongly in natural rights and spreading empirical and practical knowledge. Jefferson was important in applying enlightenment ideals to the colonies and creating a government which lived by the ideals put out by enlightenment thinkers. Benjamin Franklin was another student of the enlightenment and also had a large role in creating institutions that were built around the central tenets of the enlightenment. The revolution itself was a manifestation of the ideals spread by enlightenment thinkers which reached America. Having endured unfair taxes to pay of British debts, American revolutionaries saw that Locke's conception of natural rights was being violated, so they staged a rebellion in the name of reason and freedom from oppression. The very revolution originated in the ideals set forth by notable enlightenment thinkers. The Declaration of Independence, the document in which Americans proclaimed themselves to be free from British rule, was also directly influenced by enlightenment ideals. The declaration contained principles such as personal freedom and self-determination, set forth in the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Once the US moved forward with independence and began drafting the outline of a government, the constitution was created. This document reflected the work of many enlightenment thinkers, such as Montesquieu's idea of the balance of powers, seen in the three branch system of government. The constitution was drafted in such a way that, in Montesquieu's words, "no one man need be afraid of the other." Rousseau's work was also included, specifically the idea of democracy and the consent of the people. The idea of the power of democracy was a driving factor in shaping the American government. In addition to politics, the Enlightenment shaped the United States' relationship with religion and the church. Where religious authority had been dominant and omnipresent in Europe during the time of the Enlightenment, the US separated the church from the state. Citizens were not forced into membership, but rather were allowed free will and a choice of participation. Although most Americans did choose to continue attending church and maintain their religious connection, the idea of free will was crucial to all citizens, religious or other. Several of the ideals and freedoms which are uniquely associated with freedom and democracy in America come from enlightenment thinkers. These philosophers not only shaped the way their generation thought about freedom and authority, but also changed the nature of freedom and authority for future generations.