This document discusses the influence of Enlightenment thinkers on the drafting of the US Constitution. It identifies John Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire as three thinkers who directly influenced the Constitution. John Locke proposed the idea of social contract theory and natural rights. Montesquieu advocated for separation of powers. Voltaire promoted separation of church and state and freedom of religion.

1. Enlightenment & Constitution
11th
grade

2. Lesson Objective
Students will identify 3 Enlightenment thinkers
and their ideas that directly influenced the
drafting of the Constitution, and present the 3
ideas in the form of a constitutional recipe.

3. What was the Enlightenment?
When: 1620 – 1780
Where: Western
Europe
What: intellectual,
artistic, social, and
philosophical
movements
Why: Europe coming
out of the Middle Ages,
when religion
dominated society.

4. What's the big deal?
The Enlightenment was a time of :
•Reason
•Science
•Art
•Individualism
•Challenging Authority

6. John Locke
• Governments and Citizens have Social Contract,
consent to be governed.
• Governments only job is to protect “Natural
Rights”
Life, Liberty, Property
• Citizens obligation to challenge and overthrow
government not protecting natural rights

7. Montesquieu
• Rule of Law
• Separation of
Powers

8. Separation of Powers
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9. Voltaire
Freedom of
Religion
Separation of
Church and State

10. Rousseau
• Mans natural state is free
• Promoted individual
freedom/rights and equality
• Social Contract – consent to
be governed means
balancing freedoms with
security

11. Hobbes
• Life without government :
“solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” - Leviathan
• Man needs strong government to control
people
• People consent to governments to maintain
security
• Best Government? Absolute Monarchy

12. US Constitution
• Drafted: September 17, 1787
• Ratified: June 21, 1788
• Purpose: To establish the government of the
United States of America, and lay out basic
rights of its citizens.

13. Constitution
“We the People of the United States, in Order
to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare,
and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America.”

14. Constitution
• Bill of Rights
• 3 Branches of Government
– Legislative – create the laws
– Executive – enforce the laws
– Judicial – judge the laws
• Checks & Balances

15. Bill of Rights
• First 10 Amendments to Constitution
• Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly
• Right to bear arms
• No unreasonable searches and seizures
• Right to due process of law
• Right to quick, public trial
• Right to trial by jury
• Freedom from excessive/cruel punishment