Transcript The Enlightenment and American Revolution Vocabulary

The Enlightenment
and American
Revolution
Vocabulary
natural law
rules of conduct discoverable by reason
Thomas Hobbes
Seventeenth century
philosopher who thought
that people were naturally
bad and needed a social
contract
John Locke
Seventeenth century
philosopher who
believed people were
naturally good and
had natural rights
social contract
an agreement by which
people gave up their
freedom to a powerful
government in order to
avoid chaos
natural right
right that belongs to
every humans from
birth-life, liberty and
property
Montesquieu
an eighteenth
century thinker
who studied
governments
Voltaire
an eighteenth century
philosopher who
targeted corrupt
officials and idle
aristocrats
Diderot
Created the 28 volume
Encyclopedia to
spread the ideas of
government,
philosophy and religion
Rousseau
An eighteenth century
philosopher who
believed people are
basically good, but
corrupted by society
laissez faire
policy allowing
businesses to
operate with
little or no
government
interference
Adam Smith
Scottish economist
who said that the
free market
should regulate
business activity
censorship
restriction on
access to ideas
and information
salons
Informal social
gatherings at
which writers,
artists,
philosophes, and
others exchanged
ideas
baroque
ornate style of art
and architecture
popular in the
1600s and 1700s
rococo
personal, elegant style of
art and architecture
made popular during
the mid 1700s that
featured designs with
the shapes of leaves,
shells and flowers
enlightened despot
Absolute ruler who
uses his or her
power to bring
about political and
social change
Frederick the Great
Prussian king who
made changes
such as reducing
torture and
allowing free press
Catherine the Great
Russian empress
abolished
torture and
implemented
religious
tolerance
Joseph II
Austrian king who
ended censorship
and allowed free
press and
abolished
serfdom
George III
British king who
tried to change
the way things
were done in
Britain which led
to disastrous
policies
Stamp Act
law passed in 1765 by
the British Parliament
imposing taxes on
things like
newspapers and
pamphlets in the
American colonies;
repealed in1766
George Washington
Virginia planter and
soldier who led the
Continental Army
during the American
Revolution and later
became president
Thomas Jefferson
principle writer of
the Declaration
of
Independence
based on John
Locke’s ideas
popular sovereignty
the idea that people are
the source of any and
all governmental power
and government can
exist only with the
consent of the
governed
Yorktown, Virginia
Location where the
British army
surrendered in
the American
Revolution
Treaty of Paris
peace treaty made
final in 1783 that
ended the
American
Revolution
James Madison
one of the authors of
the United States
Constitution based
on the writings of
Montesquieu, Locke
and Rousseau
Benjamin Franklin
one of the
framers of the
United States
Constitution
federal republic
Government in which
power is divided
between the
national, or federal,
government and the
states