Yedhartha Sai Reddy Chinnasani

World History, 1st period

Mr. Denis Wisner

February 25, 2017.

Enlightenment DBQ

Man was born free, and everywhere he is in chains, said Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This

quote tells us that a man was born free but after he grows up he is chained up with all these laws

and beliefs. Enlightenment philosophers like John Locke, Voltaire and others fought for people

and how they are treated. One common thing John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith and Mary

Wollstonecraft is that they fought for individual freedom no matter what gender it is. Like Mary

Wollstonecraft fought for women's equal rights and other fought for other freedoms like men are

equal and create their own govt and individual beliefs.

John Locke was born in 1623 and lived during the English civil war and the Glorious

revolution. When he was living in England the king and Queen had the power to rule, so it is a

Monarchy. John Locke says that people are born free and they have the right to own things. He

thinks that every being should be equal. He believes that people have the right to make a new

government if the old government fails. He wants to have the Legislative and executive branch in

the government, which are two of the branches we have in America at this time.

Voltaire was born in 1694 in Francois-Marie Arouet in Paris. He became a good writers

because of his composition of plays, novels, essays and personal letter. Voltaire is a supporter of

tolerance. He believed that there should be multiple religions because if there is one religion they

would rule if there are two religions they would fight each other but if there are multiple they
will all live happily. He wanted people to be equal and they should have their own beliefs like

the first amendment.

Adam Smith was born in 1723 and lived in the age of Mercantilism. The goal of

mercantilism is to make the state rich and most people believed in monarch to be the charge of

making economic decisions. Smith believes in Individual decision making. He thinks that people

who pursue their own interest will have a harder impact on society than they would really have if

a person chose his or her job. He is not intending to promote the public's interest. Adam Smith

wants people to chose what they want to be like how it is in this time.

Mary Wollstonecraft was a british author who wrote novels. During her time, most

people believed that women should look beautiful and should be depend on men. She lived

through the French Revolution. She wanted for both sexes should act from the same principle.

She learned this through reasons and personal experiences. She wanted people to think for

themselves and learn for both for men and woman to be equal.

John Locke, Voltaire, Adam Smith and Mary Wollstonecraft is that they fought for

individual freedom. Locke fought for men to be equal, Voltaire believed that people are equal

and they have their own beliefs, Smith wanted people to pursue their own interest to make the

society stronger and Mary wanted both sexes to have equal rights. All these people wanted

people to have individual freedom.