World Philosophers History

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serfs, prohibited torture, and incorporated meritocracy into civil services. Different monarchs ruled in their own way and had different religious approaches.

Ideas of the Enlightenment brought political outbreaks across Europe and America. One of the first to react were the British Colonies in Americas. The colonists were unhappy with the British government because they were being taxed on everyday goods like tea and stamp and didn’t have any representation in the British Parliament. Later on, In 1776, 56 members met to sign The Declaration of Independence which was written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence reflected Locke’s idea of men being enlisted to the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since these natural rights were neglected by the British government, it influenced the 13 colonies to declare independence from Britain(Doc.6). Another revolution was the French Revolution. The French society felt like they were being neglected by their government and they believed they had the right to their unalienable rights which consist of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Doc 8). However, the French society was not able to fight against the French government.

The French Revolution, American Revolution, and Enlightenment ideas fueled the Latin American and Haitian Revolution. Much like Locke and Rousseau, Bolivar wished to enforce the unalienable rights of justice, liberty, and equality. In his Jamaica Letter to an English correspondent outlining his philosophical and political ideas for Latin America, he says “ South Americans have made efforts to obtain liberal, even perfect, institutions, doubtless out of that instinct to aspire to the greatest possible happiness, which, common to all men, is bound to follow in civil societies founded on the principles of justice, liberty, and equality.”(Doc.7). He wanted to support his nation and so he got help from established monarchs to help heal “the sore and wounds” of the war. Bolivar wanted a Pan-American state and therefore he went ahead to bring the Latin American colonies to unity with Jose Martin. Later on Jacques Dessalines, a former slave who led Haiti to independence, became the Haitian emperor. In the Haitian constitution he wrote “Slavery is forever abolished” and “The Citizens of Haiti are brothers at home; equality in the eyes of the law is incontestably acknowledged”(Doc 9). Even if these revolutions were successful or unsuccessful, they led to the spread of Enlightenment ideas.

Overall, during the Enlightenment, many philosophers questioned government and society and applied natural laws to solve political, social, and economic problems. Enlightened philosophers and members of the society were introduced to new ideas believing in limiting the power of monarchs and their say in law by providing the people with more of a voice. The spread of these ideas led to major revolutions both in the Americas and Europe. Throughout the Enlightenment different philosophers urged that people should also command the actions of government. Nevertheless, the ideas of the Enlightenment led to modernization and the spread of democratic