Enlightenment Thinkers Essay

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Enlightenment Thinkers That Helped Shape The United States
What Enlightenment thinkers helped make the United States what it is today? The government was influenced by many of the Enlightenment thinkers and that they, the government, should help protect all rights to their people. The government should protect your natural rights. Also, everyone deserves a trial no matter what the crime is. Finally, women’s rights were a big influence on the United States today. John Locke, Cesare Beccaria, and Olympe de Gouges are great examples of Enlightenment thinkers that helped shape our country.
John Locke was a man whose ideas helped spark the beginning of our government. In chapter 34, section 4 of the TCI World Studies textbook, it states “Locke denied the divine right of monarchs to rule. The true basis of government, he wrote, was a social contract, or agreement, among free people. Under this agreement, the purpose of government was to protect people’s natural rights.” This means that the government needs to protect everyone’s rights that belong to themselves. His main idea for the government was that the government should protect your life, liberty, and property. This idea is proposed in the Declaration of Independence.
Cesare Beccaria was also an Enlightenment thinker that helped the United States. Cesare …show more content…
In chapter 34, section 9 of the TCI World Studies textbook, it states “Women, she said, should have the right to vote, hold office, own property, and serve in the military.” This explains that she believes that women should have the same rights as men. She also argued for women’s equality in every aspect of public and private life. Olympe de Gouges would be joyful to figure out that Rosa Parks helped cause more women’s rights. She did not give up her seat on the bus she was on. The bus driver wanted her to move for a white man but she refused. This helped start the beginning of equal rights of women and
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