The document summarizes the key influences of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution. It discusses how the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke's ideas on natural rights and social contract theory influenced the Declaration of Independence. It also describes how the Constitution incorporated Enlightenment principles like separation of powers, limited government, and protection of civil liberties through the Bill of Rights.

1. The Enlightenment Influence
on the American Revolution
created by David William Phillips

2. Acts of Union, 1707
England and Scotland formed
United Kingdom of Great Britain.

3. Anne died
• Last Stuart monarch
• Had no children
George I
• Throne passed to new
Hanoverian Dynasty
1714

4. Georgian Era
Hanoverian kings played a much smaller political role than
earlier dynasties. Prime Ministers controlled Parliament.
George I,
1714-1727
George II,
1727-1760
George III,
1760-1820
George IV,
1820-1830

5. Britain’s trade and empire
expanded.
In North America, Britain
controlled Canada and 13
colonies on the Atlantic
coast.
Colonies had their own
legislatures and often acted
independently.

6. Prussia and Great Britain
vs.
Austria and France
• Fought for control of
Central Europe and
colonial supremacy in
North America and
India
Seven Years’ War,
1756-1763

7. The Seven Years’ War was a global conflict fought in Europe,
India, and North America (as the French and Indian War).

8. North America in 1763
France was
defeated.
Britain won
Canada and
became the main
power in North
America and India.

9. American colonists were bound to England through culture,
consumer goods, religion, and military victories, and
thought of themselves as partners in the British Empire.

10. British
National Debt,
1691-1785
British national debt almost doubled
during the Seven Years’ War!
After the war, Britain
sought revenue from
the colonies to recoup
the costs of fighting.

11. Stamp Act, 1765
Parliament imposed a Stamp Act. Printed
material such as legal documents and
newspapers had to carry a stamp showing
that a tax had been paid to Britain.

12. Colonists were outraged because they had no
representatives in the British Parliament.
They called for
“No taxation without representation.”

13. The Sons of Liberty based in Boston, Massachusetts
and led by Samuel Adams protested through riots,
mob violence, and boycotts.

14. The Boston Massacre
4000 British
troops were sent
to Boston to
keep order.
March 5, 1770:
British soldiers
fired on a civilian
protesters killing
five Americans.

15. Boston Tea
Party
• Parliament passed the Tea Act to help
the East India Company (EIC) sell tea in
America. Radicals protested the tea tax
as a violation of American rights.
• 1773: Protestors dumped a shipment of
tea into Boston harbor.

16. The Coercive Acts, 1774
• Parliament closed the Port of Boston and took control of
the Massachusetts colonial government.
• British officials charged of crimes were to be tried in
England, not America.
• British soldiers were to be quartered in civilians’ homes.

18. Toward Independence
• Sept. 1774—The First Continental Congress
met to respond to the Coercive Acts.
• Congress called for forced resistance and
urged colonial militias to organize and
stockpile arms.

19. • April 19, 1775:
British Army marched
into Massachusetts
countryside to seize a
weapons stockpile.
• Fighting broke out with
colonial militiamen.
• British retreated back
to Boston with heavy
losses.
Battle of Lexington and Concord

20. June 1775: The Second Continental Congress appointed
George Washington to head the new Continental Army.

21. Common Sense by Thomas Paine
January 1776— Thomas
Paine’s Common Sense
convinced colonists to sever
ties with Britain.
Europe, not England, “is the
parent country of America”.

22. On July 4, 1776 the signing the Declaration of Independence
formally declared the colonies’ intent to be independent.

23. The main author, Thomas Jefferson, was greatly influenced
by the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke.

24. John Locke
(1632-1704)
In Two Treatises of
Government,
Locke attacked the
theory of the
divine right of kings.

25. "The state of nature has a law
of nature to govern it . . . no
one ought to harm another
in his life, health, liberty, or
posessions.”
To avoid war that often
occurs in nature, men enter
into political society to
protect "life, liberty, and
estate."

26. Locke believed that
government’s power is
based on “the consent
of the governed.”
If government does
not uphold its
obligations, people
have the right of
revolution.
By taxing without
representation,
Parliament was
violating colonists’
property rights.

27. The help of foreign countries
was essential to the
colonies’ cause.
France supplied arms and
men, and formally
recognized the American
state in 1777.

28. American and French forces
defeated the British commander
Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia.
Battle of Yorktown, 1781

29. Treaty of Paris, 1783 Britain recognized
U.S. independence.
U.S. won all
territory east of the
Mississippi River
between Canada
and Florida.

30. A New Nation
The 13 former colonies were now states, having created a
new social contract. They had little interest in forming a
country with a strong central government.

31. Soon it was clear the
government under the
Articles of Confederation
lacked the power to deal with
the new nation’s problems.

32. Articles of Confederation, 1777-1789
Unicameral Congress (Each state has one vote,
9/13 votes to pass, 13/ 13 to amend Articles)
In charge of foreign and Native American relations,
military, and disputes between states
No executive or judicial branches
No power to tax

33. Dissatisfaction with Confederation
• Slow economic recovery after Revolution
• Restored trade with Britain  trade deficit
and currency shortage
• Congress unable to address trade, inflation,
and debt; had no power to tax
• Stronger central government = restore
economic growth?

34. The United States in 1787 In 1787 delegates
met to revise the
Articles.
The proposed a
new Constitution
and created a
federal system.

35. The United States Constitution
• Written at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1787.
• Was ratified and became the fundamental law of the land
on September 17, 1789.

36. Principles
• Popular Sovereignty – the People rule (“We the People”);
government reflects the will of the people through elected
officials

37. Principles
• Limited Government - law applies to equally to everyone,
even those who govern
• Article I section 9 - Writ of Habeas Corpus (protection
from arbitrary arrest) cannot be suspended
• The Bill of Rights

38. Principles
• Separation of Powers (checks and balances) – allows each
of the three branches of government to limit the powers of
other two
• Derived from Enlightenment philosophe Baron de
Montesquieu’s Spirit of the Laws.

39. The Preamble
We the People of the United States, in Order
to form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defense, 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.

40. Preamble – establishes purpose
• “to form a more perfect union” - to unite states so they can
operate as a single nation
• “establish justice” - to create fair laws and courts to insure all
citizens are treated equally
• “insure domestic tranquility” – to maintain peace and order
• “provide for the common defense” – to protect citizens from
foreign attacks
• “promote the general welfare” - to help people live healthy,
happy, and prosperous lives
• “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our
posterity” - to guarantee freedom and basic rights of all
Americans, including future generations (posterity)

41. Power is shared between the national (federal) government
and local state governments. The federal government has the
power to levy taxes, raise an army, regulate trade, and create
a national currency.
Federal Government:
U.S. Capitol Building in
Washington, DC,
the national capital city
State Government:
N.C. Legislative Building in
Raleigh, NC, the state capital city

42. The federal government was divided into three branches in a
system of checks and balances.

44. Article I – the Legislative Branch
• Framers intended for the
legislative branch to take the
leading role in govt.
• Congress made of two houses -
Senate and House of
Representatives
• Have all lawmaking/ legislative
authority (most important)

45. Article II – the Executive Branch
• Law-enforcement branch headed
by the president

46. Article III – the Judicial Branch
• One Supreme Court and lower courts as Congress deems
appropriate
• May hear cases involving the Constitution and disputes
between states

48. The promise of a Bill of Rights helped get
the Constitution adopted. These 10
amendments guaranteed freedom of
religion, speech, press, petition, and
assembly. They gave Americans the right to
bear arms and to be protected from
unreasonable search and seizures. They
guaranteed a trial by jury, due process of
law, and the protection of property rights.

49. Amendments 1-10 - The Bill of Rights
• Guarantee basic civil liberties – freedoms to think and act
w/o govt. interference or fear of unfair treatment

50. Many of these rights were derived from the natural rights
proposed by eighteenth century Enlightenment philosophes.