Melany Rondon

Ms.Teague

World history honors

April 16, 2018

The Influence of Enlightenment Thinkers

The Enlightenment was a new intellectual movement that stressed reason and thought

that individual problem solving abilities. The significance of the Enlightenment is that it gave

people importance such as relying in themselves. It also led people to question what was their

role in the government and how to get one. The American revolution occured from 1775 to 1783

due to many things such as the French and Indian war,taxation,and the Enlightenment. The

French and Indian war was a war between the French and the Indian fighting England for the

American land, although England won it left them in a lot’s of debt. The taxation was the easiest

way for England to pay off the debt even though the nobles didn't like it, it lead to how the

Enlightenment cause the american revolution because John Locke told the people that if the

government fails to protect the natural rights,people can revolt. The American revolution was

significant because it was the 1st successful rebellion against a monarch and it led to the Bill of

Rights,the US constitution,and the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of

Independence, the Bill of Rights ,and US constitution all relate to the Enlightenment thinkers

names John Locke ,Voltaire,and Montesquieu. They all founded these documents through their

ideas of natural right,individual rights,and separation of powers.

 John Locke believed that humans were naturally reasonable and that people have the

right of being free born meaning life,liberty,and property. John Locke had a great influence on

the Bill of Rights because it states that a soldier doesn't have the right to just walk into the owner

home without the permission of the owner. This shows his teachings because it's giving the

owner the right of his property which is a natural human right. It also shows that the owner can

have the right of freedom of speech because he has the right to tell the soldier not to come in to

his home. Although he makes an influence in the Bill of Rights he makes even bigger influences

in the Declaration of Independence. In one part of the document it says that men are equal and

that they have the right of life,liberty,and happiness and that if anyone was to take it away that

they can overthrow them. This shows one of his biggest teachings which is life,liberty, and

property he is encouraging people to overthrow anyone whom is to threaten there natural rights.

In another part of the document he says that the King of Great Britain puts taxes on the people

without their consent. He influenced this part of the document because his biggest moto was was

that if that if the government fails to protect natural rights,people can revolt. This gave courage

to the nobles to rebel(cause of the american revolution)but also gave then a reason to

rebel.Another reason is he knew that the nobles were unhappy and not giving them the individual

rights they deserve. Lastly he influenced the Declaration of Independence when it says that the

king also stole goods,raised prices,ruin there towns,and lives. He influenced it because the king

is invading the nobles from there property and their liberty because he is stealing the good from

the nobles ,there towns ,and their lives.

Voltaire played a big part in the Bill of Rights because he fought for people's freedom of

speech,religion, reason, and tolerance. In Amendment 1 he says the government can not put any
law not granting people freedom of religion or freedom of speech. This greatly shows how he

influenced the Bill of Rights because those were his main teachings and he is granting it to the

people. In Amendment 6 it claims that the criminal has the right of public and fast trail if whom

wants to. Although it may not seem as if he influenced this part of the document it is granting the

criminal a right of freedom of speech because although he or she is a criminal they still have the

right to say what they want even if they are in trail. In another part of the document it states in

Amendment 4 that people have the right to be safe in their own person, home,and papers and can

not be taken or seized without a reasonable reason or warrant. This is showing one of his

teachings because it's granting the people safety because nothing can be taken away from them

without reasoning. Although he did mostly influenced the Bill of Rights he also influenced a part

of the Constitution. It the Constitution article VI it claims that no one under the public trust or in

the office of the United States of America have to take a religious test. This statement is granting

freedom of religion because no one will have to feel pressured to take a test for what religion

they are just to make it in the public trust because if there was a test for religion everyone would

have to be that religion to pass the test meaning that not everyone can be the religion they want

to be.

Montesquieu was born in 1689 and died in 1755 and is a very known enlightenment

thinker and,his main beliefs was separation of power. Although it might not seem important it is

actually very important because without separation of power it would caused absolutism which is

complete control by one person also known as a monarch. He greatly impacted the U.S

Constitution because most of the document talks about separation of power. In article II of the

Constitution it states that in the executive branch, the president is it hold the office for his four
years along with the vice president. The statement shows separation of powers because it's not

just the president ruling and and making all the decisions he is also running with the vice

president avoiding absolutism. Another part of the document that shows his influences is in

article I claiming that the house of representatives can choose whom they want there speaker to

be and whom speaker has the power of impeachment. The article not only shows separation of

power but whoever has that section of power has all the right to that power. In the same article in

a different section it shows another example of his influences, it states such legislative branch

has to share its power with the congress and within the congress is the senate and the house of

representatives. With this statement it shows how the legislative branch was also divided giving

many more powers to be separated. Another documente that he influenced was the Bill of Rights

in Amendment 5 and claims no one shall be evicted of a crime without the Grand jury. Although

it may not seem as a separation of power it shows power,it shows the power the Grand jury has

and its roles. Overall he has many other examples of how he influenced the Bill of Rights and the

Constitution.

John Locke,Voltaire, and Montesquieu all greatly impacted the Declaration of

Independence,the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution in their own way due to their different

beliefs. These 3 enlightenment thinkers still are remember because of their influence in the

documents. The importance of these documents is that it gives us our right that we still have to

today.