-Key Points

1. Enlightenment

2. John Lockes Natural

Rights

3. State of Nature

4. Rousseaus Social
Contract

5. Consent of the
governed

6. Republicanism

Topic: Enlightenment SS.7.C.1.1

a.Definition
b. How did the Enlightenment ideas influence the Founding
Fathers?
a. A period of time when people developed new ideas
about human existence. Including peoples basic
rights and the level of control they should have over
their government.
b. Founding Fathers used many ideas from this period
when developing the structure of the US government.
a. Rights that people are born with.
Life: the right to live and survive
Liberty: The right to have the freedom to make
your one decisions
Property: the right to own land, tools, etc
b. Used Natural rights to justify colonial separation from
England.
a. No rules and complete freedom- without any
protection from each other.
b. A government is needed to keep order and protect
peoples natural rights.

a. Citizens give up some freedom they would have in a

state of nature (life the freedom to rob and kill
people), and in exchange the government protects
citizens right to life, liberty, and property
b. A government is needed to keep order and protect
peoples natural rights.
a. If the government does not hold up its end of the
social contract by protect citizens natural rights then
people have the right to revolt.
b. Founding Fathers used this to justify their separation
from England.

SUMMARY:
a. The idea that the countrys leader should be chosen
by the citizens in a general election.
b. This is how our leaders are chosen.