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How Did Montesquieu Influence The French Revolution

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Montesquieu was officially known as Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brede et de Montesquieu. He was a French lawyer as well as political philosopher. Most famous for his opinion on the theory of separation of powers, he wrote Lettres Persanes, a book which criticizes the absurdities of the current French society. The Spirit of the Laws was published anonymously in 1748 and it profoundly influenced political thought in Europe and America. The Catholic Church banned it along with many other books by Montesquieu in 1751 but it received high praise from the rest of Europe. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a philosopher, as well as a writer and composer. He wrote Discourse on Inequality and The Social Contract which influenced not only the Enlightenment in France, but and aspects of the French Revolution along with the overall development of modern political and educational thought. Rousseau belief was that the freedom of man was one of the most important things that people possess. He also believed that the government was required to protect these rights. It was this mindset that acted as the driving force behind the American Revolution. Rousseau’s ideas …show more content…

He was one of the first statesman to realize that the government was far from perfect. Due to his background in the Revolutionary War, he realized that focus on states’ rights and the sovereignty of the states would do the country no good. However, most did not think the same. George Washington was most successful as president. He was most appreciated for acting out in ways that the new Constitution was unclear or silent about. Washington’s actions was what established the precedents of the Constitution which are still in use today. In 1794, Washington’s military leadership was put to use when the first revolt was made against the taxes on whiskey. Washington stated that it was his duty “to take care that the laws be faithfully

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