Chapter 5

The Age of Enlightenment

5.1 The Scientific Revolution

• For years people turned to the church for teachings.

• Aristotle-geocentric theory-the earth is the center of the universe– church agreed so it became truth

• Exploration helped led to the Scientific Rev. because new technology needed to travel

• Mid 1500s, Scientific Revolution, scholars began to challenge traditional beliefs

Rene Descartes

Discoveries in astronomy• Copernicus

– Polish astronomer – Geocentric theory—WRONG– Heliocentric theory-earth rotates around sun,

sun is center of universe– Published work shortly before death

• Brahe & Kepler– Denmark – Proved Heliocentric was correct– Planets orbit in ellipses

Astronomy

• Galileo-brainpop– Italian – Built first working telescope

in 1609– Discovered Saturn’s rings

and more about the Milky Way

– First to spot craters on moon, sunspots, and moons of Jupiter

Math

• Isaac Newton-brainpop– English– Explained movements of

planets– Law of gravity– Invented calculus

Biology•Andreas Vesalius

•Dissected bodies of criminals, published findings

•William Harvey•English•Explained heart and circulatory system

Science and Society

• Conflicts between the church and scientists grew

• Galileo was put on trial because he supported Copernicus’s heliocentric theory.

• Eventually, church leaders accepted that reason could help rather than hurt the church

5.2 The Enlightenment

• Natural Laws are laws that govern human nature.

• Revolution that led to thinking about human nature and reason is called the Enlightenment

• Enlightenment thinkers were called philosophes, which means “lovers of wisdom”

• Believed that the use of reason could lead to reforms of government, law and society.

Two Views of the Social Contract

• Thomas Hobbes English– people cruel & greedy– Need absolute monarchy to control– Give up rights for organized govt.

• John Locke English– People moral– Natural rights-life, liberty and pursuit of

happiness– Govt fails it should be replaced.

Separation of Powers• Montesquieu French

• Against absolute monarchs.• Separation of powers

– Legislative, Judicial, Executive

Famous Philosophes

• Voltaire- French – Freedom of speech– “I do not agree with what you say, but will defend to

the death your right to say it”– Freedom of religion – No slavery

• Diderot- writer – 26 volume Encyclopedia– Organize and share ideas

• Rousseau- thinker– People corrupt by society– Unequal distribution of wealth– Good of community over individual

• Mary Wollstonecraft- thinker– Women: did not have natural rights.– Women should not depend on their

husbands.– Wanted women elections.

Enlightenment Philosophers Matching Game

Enlightenment Philosophers BeliefsGame

New Economic Thinking• Physiocrats- were

thinkers who focused on economic reforms

• Laissez Faire- business with little or no government interference

• Adam Smith- • Book Wealth of Nations• British economist who

support laissez faire approach to business

Salons

• Salons-informal social gathering of writers, artists– Began in 1600s, with women– Madam Geoffrin ran one of the most

respected– Mozart entertained

Enlightened Despots

• Enlightened Despots were absolute rulers who used their power to bring about political and social change.

• Catherine the Great (Russia)– Ended serfdom

Frederick the Great (Prussia

Allowed freedom of religion

Joseph II (Russia)

“peasant emperor” ended censorship

Lives of the Majority

• Peasants-lives changed very little– Lived in small villages– Some worked own land, other paid yearly rent– Owed labor to lords, could be brought or sold

with land– Had to provide free labor in France– Wanted equality and social justice by 1700

5.3 The American Revolution

• Each colony had its own government and made its own laws.

• Britain defeated France in the French and Indian War– British made the colonies pay for cost of war– Stamp Act of 1765-tax on stamps and paper– Tea Act of 1767-tax on tea, glass, paints

– Causes of the American Revolution Brainpop

Rebellion• Colonists boycotted-refused to buy goods

• In 1770- Boston Massacre-5 colonists killed

• In 1773- Boston Tea Party, group called Sons of Liberty dumped tea in harbor

• In 1774- First Continental Congress delegates from each colony met

• April 1775 British troops confronted American soldiers in Lexington-The American Revolution begun

Boston Massacre

Boston Tea Party

Struggle for Independence

• June 1775 Second Continental Congress delegates decided that the colonies should be free.

• Thomas Jefferson used Enlightenment ideas from Locke and Rousseau and the English Bill of Rights to form our Declaration of Independence.

• July 4th 1776

Battles

• October 1777 Battle of Saratoga Benjamin Franklin convince the French to support the colonists.

• The next two years American troops strengthened

• October 1781, Lord Cornwallis of Britain surrender at Yorktown, VA, ending the war

• 1783, Treaty of Paris officially recognized American independence

George Washington

Lord Cornwallis

Constitution• Written mostly by James Madison

• Included– Two house legislature (House of Reps/Senate)

– President– Judiciary (courts)

• Bill of Rights- Brainpop – First 10 Amendments or changes to the

Constitution. – Granted freedom of speech, religion, press

• These ideas were borrowed from Enlightenment thinkers