FCPS World II SOL Standards: WHII 6d

FCPS HS Social Studies © 2014

The Age of Enlightenment (1700-1800 C.E.)You Mean that People Didn’t Always Believe in Democracy?

Map of Europe in 1700. The majority of people were ruled by absolute monarchs. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment#mediaviewer/File:Europe,_1700_-_1714.png

Power to the PeopleFrom the end of the 17th to the beginning of the 19th centuries many Europeans wanted progress in society. Using ideas from the scientific revolution, Europeans applied knowledge and reason to society and politics. They questioned the power leaders had and examined different types of political systems. These ideas began a revolution in thinking that we call the European Enlightenment.These thinkers questioned many traditional ideas established by the Catholic Church and the ruling kings and queens. One central idea that was attacked was divine right. This is the idea that a king or queen ruled with the will of God on their side. However, people wanted to control their own lives and talked about their natural rights, or the

The Move Away from Absolute MonarchsAbsolute monarchs ruled with complete control and often claimed that they had the authority of God on their side. Louis XIV of France was one example. He claimed that he was the government and had total power in France. The symbol of Louis XIV’s power was the Palace of Versailles. Taxes on the people of France paid for this beautiful and expensive palace that was built outside of Paris. Louis XIV demanded that all French nobles live in the palace, increasing his control

The Palace of Versailles Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles#mediaviewer/File:Zuidgevel_Corps_de_logis_rond_1675_Anonieme_schilder.jpg

rights to live freely and fairly. Philosophers said that the government needed to protect the rights of the people and govern according to fair laws. If it did not, they said the people had the right to change the government, even by force. These ideas were essential to the American Revolution in 1776, the French Revolution in 1789, the Haitian Revolution in 1791, and other uprisings in the 1800s.

over the country. In the 17th and 18th centuries these kinds of monarchs were common in Europe. But, writers and thinkers wanted to know what gave rulers their power. There were many important thinkers from this era. Some of them include: 1) Thomas Hobbes, author of Leviathan. He wrote that humans were

naturally primitive and violent and that they needed a government to protect them from themselves.

2) John Locke, author of Two Treatises on Government. He wrote that people were sovereign (that is, they ruled themselves) and that they gave their consent to the government for the protection of their natural rights of life, liberty and property. He said these rights existed for all people and were not given to them by the government.

3) Montesquieu, author of The Spirit of Laws. He wrote that the best form of government had a separation of powers. The three branches he identified were legislative, executive and judicial.

4) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, author of The Social Contract. He wrote that government was a contract between the rulers and the people. He also stressed equality for all people.

5) Voltaire, an author who focused on religious tolerance and the separation of church (religion) and state (government). Through his writings, like the novel Candide, Voltaire criticized political and religious leaders.

Age of Enlightenment (cont.) WHII 6d

FCPS HS Social Studies © 2014

Quick Review

Connection to TodayThink about the ideas of the Enlightenment. Some people think that currently the world is going through another era of Enlightenment. What do you think? Provide examples to support your opinion.

ResourcesLearn 360● The Ideas of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke http://goo.gl/l1neze

Library Databases - GALE

● The Enlightenment: http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1185552?terms=enlightenment+

1. The graphic organizer (below) best expresses the ideas of:

Key VocabularyDivine right: the belief that God gave a king or queen power, allowing them to control without limit

Natural rights: rights that all people have when born, first summarized by John Locke, including life, liberty and property

Consent: agreement

French Revolution: A period from 1789-1799 where the king of France was removed from power and democratic power increased

Absolute monarch: a king or queen with complete, centralized power over a country’s population

Sovereign: to have independent control over something; not dependent on someone else

Separation of church and state: the division between religion and government, summarized by Voltaire

Separation of power: Montesquieu’s idea that the executive, legislative, and judicial powers should be separated into three different parts of government

2.A. Thomas HobbesB. MontesquieuC. Jean-Jacques RousseauD. John Locke

What answer best replaces the question mark?

4. Based on the ideas of the Enlightenment, describe an ideal government in a paragraph or by drawing and labeling a picture that represents it.

3. Absolute monarchs usually claimed that they had power based on:

The European Enlightenment

A. Ideas of Thomas HobbesB. Ideas of VoltaireC. Ideas of John LockeD. Ideas of European monarchs

A. DemocracyB. Divine RightC. Natural RightsD. Economic Necessity

Together, these ideas were called the European Enlightenment. Enlighten means to turn on a light; these ideas were a new way of thinking about government and society. The ideas of the Era of Enlightenment were not just read and discussed. They created the desire for freedom and liberty and led to the American Revolution and the French Revolution. In America, Thomas Jefferson and others used these ideas to write the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, and the Bill of Rights. The ideas of natural rights, religious freedom, and limited powers of government have spread. They are part of the laws of many nations today.