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Influence Of The Enlightenment

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The Enlightenment established many new ideas and created different views of the government and the world which didn't exist before. New ideas of society and government were made with inspiration of the Enlightenment ideas of human rights, equality, and democracy by Philosophers like Voltaire, Locke, and Paine. These ideas changed people’s ideals and views of the government's policies. Enlightenment ideas were the reason why people wanted to change, change their government and the way they were treated and how they lived, because they heard of peoples ideas, such as John Locke's belief of equality, Voltaire’s idea of freedom of speech and religion, and Tom Paine’s concept of the right to rebel. People fueled the American Revolution of …show more content…

Voltaire was also a philosopher who also had Enlightenment Idea’s, who believed in civil rights, freedom of speech, and religion. Voltaire’s goal was to introduce philosophers idea’s, such as Locke, to France, and other countries. He found a way to make ideas who have been kept in the dark popular and widespread. Voltaire viewed god as someone who “created the universe and started the mechanisms within it before allowing it to run on its own. Never interfering” (Pike). He followed a belief called deism, and his beliefs convinced the founding fathers to view god as a reasonable being who would “support them in their fight for independence.” (Pike). Because he partially introduced deism to them, they found the courage to strive for independence. Although many of his written works and books were burned or banned, he still believed and defended the concept of freedom of religion and speech,and was against inequality and slave trade. He wrote a lot about freedom of religion, and people liked his ideas of being able to believe in what you wish to believe.

With his writings Tom Paine fueled the revolutionary flames of the british colonies to rebel and go against britain and King George III. Argument for independence: "Society in every state is a blessing, but Government even in its best state is but a necessary evil."(Zinn, 49) Don't need england, we can trade with any other european nation: “I challenge the wannest advocate for

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