The Age of Enlightenment refers to a period in which reason was advocated as the primary basis of thought and authority. Logic and rationality were used to explain the ways in which the world worked as opposed to old traditions and superstitions. Free speech, individualism, and tolerance for other ways of life also became important ideas during this time. This period also coincided with the rise of nationalism and introduced great thinkers who later influenced developing democratic governments including the government of the United States.

John Locke was perhaps the foremost philosopher of the Enlightenment. He believed that a government was legitimate only if the people it ruled consented to its authority. He also believed the government should protect the natural rights of citizens and that all individuals should be equal under the law. These principles were influential in the development of many movements, including the American Revolution. American documents such as the Declaration of Independence demonstrate the influence of Locke's ideas.

Charles-Louis Montesquieu was a French political thinker known for his ideas regarding the government's separation of powers. In his work entitled The Spirit of the Laws, Montesquieu argued against one large government structure controlling every aspect of law and instead proposed the idea of separate branches.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Swiss philosopher, writer, and Enlightenment thinker. Much of his philosophy influenced the French Revolution. During the Age of Enlightenment, great thinkers saw how humans were able to establish a new sense of logic and reason. Rousseau argued that every person was capable of such thinking and therefore could choose his or her own destiny. This idea is expressed in his famous work Reveries of a Solitary Walker.

Thomas Hobbes was perhaps the first person to develop social contract theory. He believed strongly that people naturally give up certain rights to a government in order to maintain social order. Hobbes' idea of social order was based on the thought that without government structure, people would fight each other and would never know peace. Hobbes states that "The natural state of men, before they were joined in society, was a war, and not simply, but a war of all against all." Hobbes believed that the only cure for such a war was the creation of a strong government with almost absolute power. He believed that people would freely give up their right to govern themselves in order to know peace.

Voltaire, born Francois-Marie Arouet, was a French writer. Along with his Enlightenment counter-parts, Voltaire believed in each individual's civil liberties, including free speech and freedom of religion.

Influences of the Enlightenment:

The American Revolution was very heavily influenced by ideas associated with the Enlightenment. Documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights reflected many Enlightenment ideas. The American Revolution also showed the world that Enlightenment ideals could be put into action in creating a democratic government. Benjamin Franklin and other leaders of the American Revolution spent time in France and helped spread Enlightenment ideals. Inspired by the ideas of the American Revolution, the French overthrew their monarchy in the late 1700s and established a republic. France's revolutionary government wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, claiming that all men were free and equal.

The Declaration of Independence stated that the American colonies were separated from Great Britain. It was influenced by Enlightenment teachings. The Declaration listed the abuses by King George III on the colonies. To the colonists, these abuses justified their breaking away from Great Britain in the American Revolution. The Declaration asserts that "all men are created equal," that all people have the "unalienable rights" of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," and that any government's power comes "from the consent of the governed."

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution form the Bill of Rights. It shares many principles with the English Bill of Rights and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. Some important amendments in the Bill of Rights are the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of religion, and the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees the right to a fair and speedy trial.

Locke

People have the natural rights of life, liberty, and property
Citizens enter into a social contract with their government, in which people give power to the government in order to have their natural rights protected
Governments can be overthrown if the natural rights of citizens are not protected

Montesquieu

Governments should be divided into 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial)
Governments should utilize the checks and balances system to make sure that one branch cannot become all powerful (like in absolutism)

Rousseau

Citizens enter into a social contract
Governments should govern based on the principal of popular sovereignty (the will of the majority)

Voltaire

Citizens should have the right to freedom of speech (no censorship) and freedom of religion (no religious persecution)