MayaHarrison

Mr.Mather
WorldHistoryPeriod1
3November2015
EnlightenmentEssay
Whenwelookbacktoseehowourgovernmentwasformed,wemaythinkofthe
Enlightenment,ormaybenot.Nonetheless,ourgovernmenttodaywasheavily
influencedbythisancienttimeinEuropefrom17151789.
TheEnlightenment
influencedthedevelopmentofthenewAmericangovernmentbygivingabasisofthe
shapeofagovernment,unalienablerights,andfoundationoftheConstitution.
WithouttheEnlightenment,thefoundingfathersmighthaveneverthoughtofa
shapeofgovernmentthatmatchestheonethatwehavetoday.Weowemostofthis
happeningtoanEnlightenmentFrenchlawyernamedBarondeMontesquieu.
Montesquieupreferredaconstitutionalgovernmentwithaseparationofpowers
betweentheJudicial,Executive,andLegislativebranchesofgovernment.Inhis
famousbook,
TheSpiritofLaws,
hefamouslystates,Thereasonwhymost
governmentsaredespoticonEarthisthatitjusthappens.Butformoderate
governmentsmustcombinemoderatepowersthepowersthatarenotinonebranches
handmustbegiventoanotherandfinallyweneedasystemthatistosayaconvention
ofmanyandadiscussionofinterest.Heisexpoundingonhowawellsetup
governmentshouldhavepowersspreadoutbetweendifferentbranchesofthe
government,andthatishowwegetourseparationofpowers.Thisalsobroughtthe

ideaofchecksandbalancesintofoundingfathersminds.Checksandbalancesiswhen
thebranchesofgovernmentcheckoneachothertomakesuretheyaredoingtheir
assignedjob.Similarly,hesays
"Ifthetrianglesmadeagod,theywouldgivehimthree
sides."Meaningthatthereshouldbethreebranchesofgovernmentandagain,
mentioningtheideaofseparationofpowers.Hespecifiedthatagodwouldhavethree
sides,leadingtothewholegovernmentbeingreferredtoasagod,andthereshouldbe
threebranchestoonegod.
Montesquieusideasofhowagovernmentshouldbe
assembledpaidoffintheend.
Also,TheEnlightenmentbroughtunalienablerightstotheU.S.government
construction.TheunalienablerightsoftheU.S.governmentarelife,liberty,andthe
pursuitofhappiness.Likewise,JohnLockesnaturalrightswerelife,liberty,and
property,whichinfluencedThomasJeffersontobuildhisunalienablerightsoffof.In
JohnLockesmostfamouspieceofwork,
TwoTreatisesofGovernment,
hementions
Andthusthecommunityperpetuallyretainsasupremepowerofsavingthemselves
fromtheattemptsanddesignsofanybody,evenoftheirlegislators,whenevertheyshall
besofoolish,orsowicked,astolayandcarryondesignsagainstthelives,libertiesand
propertiesofthesubjectinterpretingthisquote,heissayingthateachandevery
person,goodorbad,mustbegiventhesevaluablerights.Lateron,ThomasJefferson
writesthe
DeclarationofIndependence
advocatingforthisquoteWeholdthesetruths
tobeselfevident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheir
CreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,suchasLife,Liberty,andthepursuitof
happiness.LikewisetotheinterpretationofJohnLockesfamousquote,thisquote

explainsthatallpeopleareequalandtheyareallgiventheseunalienablerights.
Anyways,theEnlightenmentinfluencedunalienablerightsontoThomasJeffersonand
therestofthefoundingfathers.
Lastly,theEnlightenmentinspiredthefoundationoftheUnitedStates
Constitution.TheU.S.Constitutionwasaveryimportantdocumenttoourcountrys
existence.ItlaidouttherightsofanAmericancitizenandintroducedtheBillofRights.
ThefirstamendmentintheConstitutionisCongressshallmakenolawrespectingan
establishmentofreligion,orprohibitingthefreeexercisethereoforabridgingthe
freedomofspeech,orofthepressortherightofthepeoplepeaceablytoassemble,
andtopetitiontheGovernmentforaredressofgrievances.The1stamendment
introducesthetopicofhavingthesefreedomsthatcitizensdreamedofbackthen.
WhichgoesbacktosomethingVoltaire,aFrenchwriterduringthistimeperiodsaid

If
Goddidnotexist,itwouldbenecessarytoinventHimalongwithIdonotagreewith
whatyouhavetosay,butIlldefendtothedeathyourrighttosayit!Inbothofthese
quotes,hesupportedfreedomofspeechandreligion.
Voltairehadahugepartof
freedomofreligionandhebelievedthatthecitizensreligiondidnothavetobechosen
bythestatesreligion,whichbroughthimtoadvocatingforfreedomofreligionfor
everyone.Hestressesthatreligionisakeyparttoourdailylives.Voltairealsohadabig
partinthefoundingoffreedomofspeechsopeoplemightnotagreewithanythingyou
havetosay,butheacceptstheirrighttosayit.Allinall,theEnlightenmentinfluenced
themakingoftheConstitutiontremendously.

Ifthisgreatperiodoftimeneverhappened,wherewouldourgovernmentbe?
WithouttheEnlightenmentourfoundingfatherswouldnothavethesameideasasthey
didbackthen.WithoutJohnLockesnaturalrights,orVoltairedefendingourfreedomof
religionandspeech,wewouldneverhavethesimplerightsthatwetakeforgranted
everyday.ThenewAmericangovernmentwasinfluencedbytheEnlightenmentby
yieldingabasisoftheshapeofagovernment,unalienablerights,andfoundationofthe
Constitution.