Chapter 18, Section

Chapter 18

The Enlightenment and the

American Revolution(1707–1800)

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

World History: Connection to Today

Chapter 18, Section

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Chapter 18: The Enlightenment and the American

Revolution (1707–1800)

Section 1: Philosophy and the Age of Reason

Section 2: Enlightenment Ideas Spread

Section 3: Britain at Mid-Century

Section 4: Birth of the American Republic

World History: Connection to Today

Chapter 18, Section

Philosophy in the Age of Reason

• How did scientific progress promote trust in

human reason?

• How did the social contract and separation of

powers affect views on government?

• How did new ideas affect society and the

economy?

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Chapter 18, Section

Progress and Reason

Scientific progress convinced Europeans of the power of human reason.

If people used reason to find laws that governed the physical world, why not use reason to discover natural laws, or laws that governed human nature?

The Scientific Revolution led to another revolution in thinking, which

came to be known as the Enlightenment-Age where reason and science were used to solve society’s problems .

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Chapter 18, Section

Political Thinkers of the Enlightenment

The separation of

powers is the best way to protect liberty.

Each branch of government should serve as a check on the

others.

People are basically good

Everyone has natural rights and it is the government’s

job to protect our rights.

Natural rights are rights present at birth such as Life, liberty, and property

People are naturally

cruel, greedy, and selfish.

People entered into a social contract, in order to

live in an organized society.

Only an absolute monarchy can ensure an orderly society.

BARON de

MONTESQUIEUJOHN LOCKETHOMAS HOBBES

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Chapter 18, Section

The Philosophes and Society

Argued that a woman

should be able to decide what is in her own interest and should not be

completely dependent on her husband.

Called for equal education for girls and boys.

Believed that people were

basically good and should rule themselves in a direct democracy.

Said government controls should be minimal

Felt the good of the

community should be placed above individual interests.

Defended the principle of

freedom of speech.

Fought divine right with logic and criticized

absolute monarchy with his books

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFTROUSSEAUVOLTAIRE

Thinkers called philosophes believed that the use of reason

could lead to reforms of government, law, and society.

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Chapter 18, Section

New Economic Thinking

Thinkers called physiocrats focused on economic

reforms. Like the philosophes, physiocrats looked for

natural laws to define a rational economic system.

Physiocrats rejected mercantilism in favor of a policy

called laissez faire.

Laissez faire means allowing businesses to run with

little or no government interference.

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Chapter 18, Section

Adam Smith

• In The Wealth of Nations, Adam

Smith argued that the free market

should be allowed to regulate

business activity.

• Smith supported laissez faire, but

also believed that a government

had a duty to protect society,

administer justice, and provide

public works.

Chapter 18, Section

Who believed that people are naturally cruel and greedy?

a) Montesquieu

b) Hobbes

c) Rousseau

d) Voltaire

Which of the following is true of the physiocrats?

a) They rejected laissez faire in favor or mercantilism.

b) They rejected mercantilism in favor of laissez faire.

c) They rejected both mercantilism and laissez faire.

d) They focused on social reform.

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Section 1 Assessment1

Chapter 18, Section

Who believed that people are naturally cruel and greedy?

a) Montesquieu

b) Hobbes

c) Rousseau

d) Voltaire

Which of the following is true of the physiocrats?

a) They rejected laissez faire in favor or mercantilism.

b) They rejected mercantilism in favor of laissez faire.

c) They rejected both mercantilism and laissez faire.

d) They focused on social reform.

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Section 1 Assessment1

Chapter 18, Section

Enlightenment Ideas Spread

• What roles did censorship and salons play in the spread of

new ideas?

• How did philosophes influence enlightened despots?

• How did the Enlightenment affect arts and literature?

• Why were the lives of the majority unaffected?

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Chapter 18, Section

The Roles of Censorship and Salons

Government and church officials tried to protect the

old order.To defend against the attacks of the

Enlightenment, they used censorship, the restricting of

access to ideas and information. They banned and

burned books and imprisoned writers.

Salons were informal social gatherings where writers,

artists, philosophes, and others exchanged ideas.

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Chapter 18, Section

Enlightened Despots

Most radical of enlightened

despots.

Granted toleration to

Protestants and Jews.

Ended censorship and tried to control the Catholic

Church.

Sold church property to build

hospitals.

Abolished serfdom.

Was interested in

Enlightenment ideas but intended to give up no power.

Made some limited reforms in law and government.

Granted nobles a charter of rights.

Criticized the institution of serfdom.

Exerted tight control over

subjects, but saw himself as a “servant of the state.”

Tolerated religious

differences.

Distributed seeds and

tools to peasants.

JOSEPH IICATHERINE THE GREATFREDERICK THE GREAT

Enlightened despots were absolute rulers who used their power

to bring about political and social change.

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Chapter 18, Section

Literature and the Arts

LITERATURE

Literature developed new forms and a wide new audience.

Middle class readers enjoyed stories about

their own times.

Great numbers of novels were written.

MUSICNew kinds of musical entertainment evolved, such as

ballets and operas.

Music followed ordered, structured forms.

Johann Sebastian Bach,George Frederick Handel, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were brilliant and influential composers of this time.

Mozart music

COURTLY ARTArtists and designers developed the rococostyle, which was personal, elegant, and

charming.

In the 1600s and 1700s, the arts evolved to meet changing tastes.

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Chapter 18, Section

Rococo Art

Chapter 18, Section

The Lives of Peasants

Peasant life varied across Europe. Peasant culture, based on centuries-old traditions, changed slowly.

In Western Europe, serfdom had largely disappeared.

Peasants worked their own plots of land, were tenants of large landowners, or worked as day laborers.

In central and Eastern Europe, serfdom remained firmly rooted.

– Peasants owed labor services to their lords and could be bought and sold with the land.

2

Chapter 18, Section

Which ruler was the most radical of the enlightened despots?

a) Catherine the Great

b) Frederick the Great

c) Joseph II

d) Maria Theresa

Which of the following is true of peasant life in Europe?

a) Serfdom had all but disappeared in Eastern Europe.

b) Serfdom remained firmly rooted in Western Europe.

c) Serfdom remained firmly rooted in Eastern Europe.

d) Peasants lived similarly in Eastern and Western Europe.

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Section 2 Assessment2

Chapter 18, Section

Which ruler was the most radical of the enlightened despots?

a) Catherine the Great

b) Frederick the Great

c) Joseph II

d) Maria Theresa

Which of the following is true of peasant life in Europe?

a) Serfdom had all but disappeared in Eastern Europe.

b) Serfdom remained firmly rooted in Western Europe.

c) Serfdom remained firmly rooted in Eastern Europe.

d) Peasants lived similarly in Eastern and Western Europe.

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Section 2 Assessment2