Describe how the United States adopted the ideals of the Enlightenment philosophes

Isabel Muschweck
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The Enlightenment sparked the revolution of thinking and new scientific advances

throughout the world. The Enlightenment took place throughout the 18th century. Enlightenment

thinkers also known as philosophes solved social, political, and economic problems. Philosophes

who were also known as "lovers of wisdom" changed the world today. The United States used

the Enlightenment ideas in the writing of the U.S. constitution, arguably one of the most

important documents to our country. I argue that the United States adopted the ideals of the

Enlightenment through the philosophes. The philosophes that most effected the Enlightenment

were John Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire. I will prove my thesis by providing reasoning

behind John Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire's ideas that contributed to the enlightenment.

. The first Philosopher that had an impact on the United States adopting the Enlightenment

ideals was John Locke. According to fee.org "John Locke believed that people were given natural

rights from birth". The United states adopted this idea in the writing of the constitution as it states

in the 1st amendment, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech" as stated on

www.law.cornell.edu. This connects to Locke's ideas as his reasoning is every man has his or her

rights from birth and every man shall be treated equal. Another important philosopher was

Montesquieu. Montesquieu believed there should be 3 branches of government, Legislative,

Executive, and Judicial in order to protect liberty. In the writing of the U.S. constitution as stated

in amendment 5, "no person shall be....nor be deprived of life, liberty and property without due

process of law." Lastly Voltaire defended the idea of freedom of speech. This connect to the

United, States adoption of enlightenment ideas as the constitution states in the first amendment
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free

exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech" Voltaire and Locke shared similar ideas and

were both contributors to the first amendment. All 3 philosophes played an important role in the

United States adoption of ideals in the enlightenment as their ideas all helped to form the United

States constitution.

The United States Adopted the ideas of the Enlightenment through the Philosophes. John

Locke, Montesquieu, and Voltaire all contributed their ideas which helped in the formation of the

United States constitution. John Locke contributed his idea of natural rights from birth.

Montesquieu brought on the three branches of government which helped shape the United States

constitution. Voltaire who is known as one of the most famous philosophers believed in freedom

of speech. The founding fathers of the United States brought the Philosophers ideas back from

Europe which helped shape our country. The Enlightenments watermark lingers on some of the

most important U.S. documents to this day. Without the Enlightenment the United States would

not be what it is today.