Influence of the Enlightenment on America's Founding Documents

By Ava Harry

The Enlightenment was a movement that occurred in the 1800s across Europe. This
movement supported a new way of thinking about government and put more power in
individuals. The American Revolution occurred because the colonies were not happy with
the way England was ruling over them and wanted to take the power and govern
themselves. Enlightenment thinkers, John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu, influenced
America's founding documents with their Enlightenment ideas of natural rights, separation
of powers, and individual freedom.
John Locke’s idea of everyone being born with three natural rights influenced the
unalienable rights we have now. Locke believed that every person is born with the right to
life, liberty, and property and if the government failed to give them and protect these rights
they could overthrow them. “All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit
of Happiness”. This quote from the Declaration of Independence states the god given rights
all humans have, and they are remarkably similar to John Locke’s idea of human rights. “It
is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such a Government”. Along with his other beliefs
Locke thought it was the job of the people to overthrow a government not doing what it
needs to. “The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed”. This is a
excerpt from the third amendment of The Bill of Rights which supports Locke’s idea of the
right to property by defending the people's right to carry a weapon.
Voltaire believed in everyone having the rights to speech and religion and these are
rights we now have today. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech”. This
quote from the First Amendment from the Bill of Rights states exactly what Voltaire
believed; everyone has the right to say what they want and practice any religion. Article VI
of the constitution states “no religious test shall be required as a qualification to any office
of public trust under the United States”. This is saying that no one can be turned down for a
job because of their religion.
Montesquieu’s idea of separation of powers is the basis of our entire government.
The purpose of “separation of powers” is to put the power in the hands of many people so
that no one could become a dictator. “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested
in a congress of the United States, which shall consist of the Senate and House of
Representatives”. This section of Article I is describing one of the three branches of
government, the legislative branch which is also split into two sections. “The executive
power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America”. This part of Article II
is describing the executive branch which is controlled by the president or the “figure head”
of the country. “The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one supreme
court.” The quote is about the third branch of government, the judicial branch.
The ideas of natural rights, separation of powers, and individual freedom that are in
America’s founding documents come from John Locke, Voltaire, and Montesquieu. If these
enlightenment thinkers had not be brave enough to share their ideas, or country would not
be the way it is today. The freedoms we now enjoy are from those three people.