Which statement best identifies the impact of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution?(1 point) Responses Ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British. Ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British. Rousseau’s creation of social contract theory influenced American ideas on government. Rousseau’s creation of social contract theory influenced American ideas on government. The social contract belief that the government should have total power motivated the colonists to rebel. The social contract belief that the government should have total power motivated the colonists to rebel. Thomas Jefferson’s idea that governments should not violate the natural rights of people was used to criticize the British.
The statement that best identifies the impact of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution is:
"Ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British."
The statement that best identifies the impact of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution is: "Ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British." Additionally, Thomas Jefferson's idea that governments should not violate the natural rights of people was used to criticize the British.
The statement that best identifies the impact of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution is: "Ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British."
To arrive at this answer, one must understand the key concepts and ideas of the Enlightenment and their influence on the American Revolution. The Enlightenment was a period of intellectual and philosophical growth in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasized reason, science, individualism, and the belief in natural rights.
The American colonists were heavily influenced by these Enlightenment ideas, which challenged the traditional authority of monarchies and advocated for the idea that governments should be based on the consent of the governed. The concepts of democracy, natural rights (such as life, liberty, and property), and fair government were strongly embraced by the colonists. They saw themselves as entitled to the same rights and liberties as English citizens, and they believed that the British government was violating these rights through excessive taxation and control.
Prominent Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke and his ideas on natural rights, social contract theory, and limited government greatly influenced the colonists' thinking. Rousseau's social contract theory, which argued that the government's power should be derived from the consent of the people, also resonated with American ideas on government.
Additionally, Thomas Jefferson, one of the key figures in the American Revolution, incorporated Enlightenment ideals in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. His famous line, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that 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," reflects the influence of Enlightenment thought on the American Revolution.
Therefore, it can be concluded that ideas such as democracy, natural rights, and fair government inspired colonists to revolt against the British, making it the most suitable statement to identify the impact of the Enlightenment on the American Revolution.