Chloe Williams 2nd period

11/30/18

The Enlightenment’s Influence on America

The Enlightenment is the movement that influenced the world of ideas in Europe, during

the 18th century. The Enlightenment occurred once Philosophers began to think that it could lead

to improvement in human life, and that it would soon become the best way of thinking over time.

On the other hand, the American Revolution happened because of the rise of taxes. The

American Revolution was the colonial revolt that occurred when the 13 colonies won

independence from Great Britain. The Enlightenment plays a huge role in the American

Revolution, such as starting many of the ideas that were used in the Revolution, focusing on

one’s freedom of speech, equality, religion, etc. John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu all

influenced America’s founding documents through their ideas of natural rights, individual

freedoms, and separation of powers.

John Locke; the “Philosopher of Freedom” had a huge impact on America’s founding

documents in many ways, especially with his beliefs on natural rights. The Bill of Rights fourth

amendment recites that people have the right to deny searches that involve their home, paper,

and individual items. Locke was all about the natural rights of man, and his theory was that you

had the right to deny unlawful searches on your private belongings. The job of the government is

to protect the natural rights of all people, and if the government ever failed to protect these rights

the citizens were given the right to overthrow the government. The Bill of Rights fifth

amendment says that nobody is to be charged as guilty for any crime until they have been proven

so by a Grand Jury. A belief of Locke’s that helped impact this document was that someone’s
liberty could not be taken away unless the government had reason behind it. There must also be

proof presented explaining why the suspect is guilty. Piggybacking off of the Bill of Rights, the

Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal and that includes life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness. No matter your race, gender, or economic status everyone was

granted equality and the right to pursue life in ways that will leave them content. And in 1689,

John Locke wrote two Treatises of Government. Thomas Jefferson analyzed Locke’s theories

and used them to construct his writing of the Declaration of Independence.

Voltaire inspired America’s founding documents by using satire and fighting for

tolerance, reason, religious freedom, and freedom of speech. The government can’t make a law

that a human does not have the freedom of speech, religion, or press, as written in the Bill of

Right first amendment. Voltaire was a very strong supporter of social reform. His quote, “I do

not agree with the word you say, but i will defend to the death your right to say it.” is the

epitome of fighting for the freedom of mankind, which he was well known for. In the

Declaration of Independence it states that all men are created equal and that includes their natural

rights. Another American document that Voltaire had an impact on was the U.S Constitution,

more specifically Article VI. It reads that no one's religion shall be tested to qualify for any job

in the United States. Voltaire stood firm behind his beliefs and fought for the freedom of religion

not caring who you were. No matter where someone goes, man or woman, Muslim or Christian,

they shall not be denied the position in a workplace based off of their devout religious

background and faith.

The last philosopher that played a role in impacting the founding documents is

Montesquieu. All legislative powers shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives
(Constitution Article One, Section One). Montesquieu’s idea was the division of power among

different branches of government. This was also considered the separation of powers.

Montesquieu was specifically trained learning the principles of government law. The Founding

Fathers pretty much depended on Montesquieu's theory about the separation of powers. They

realized his idea of dividing the power throughout different branches of government, equally,

would help everyone come together to form a stable government. Article Two, Section One of

the Constitution also relates to the separation of power. It says that the executive power will be

about the president and how his/her term will last for four years and they shall be accompanied

by a Vice President. This branch of government will have the most power over all the others. But

overall all of the departments will play a part in the decisions made to make America a

prosperous country. Lastly, Article three, section one of the Constitution reads that the judicial

branch shall consist of one Supreme Court and will be allowed to alter and establish works

officially. Montesquieu’s intellectual thinking about people wanting the same power was clearly

put into place when our Founding Fathers decided that the judicial branch would still have a say

in the decisions made in the government, even if their position did not seem half as important as

the President’s. Overall, his theories warned the Founding Fathers of what would soon come

about in the U.S government if they did not consider how selfish human beings can be when it

boils down to who has more control.

John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu all influenced America’s founding documents

through their ideas of natural rights, individual freedoms, and separation of powers. These

philosophers are truly important because they have impacted the rights that man has today. Not

only that, but they have also helped our country grow and become a better place. Locke,
Voltaire, and Montesquieu set the building blocks to help people have a better sense of

individualism and equal rights.