Lecture 3 Flashcards
(16 cards)
What are natural laws?
Fixed principles of the universe that humans could learn through investigation
These laws were emphasized during the Age of Enlightenment as rationality and order over mysteries.
Who is John Locke?
A philosopher known for his works such as ‘Essay Concerning Human Understanding’ and ‘Of Civil Liberties’
Locke’s ideas greatly influenced the development of political philosophy and the notion of natural rights.
What is the American Enlightenment?
A movement heavily influenced by European Enlightenment, adapting ideas to the new nation from 1750-1800
Characterized by democratic and egalitarian principles, with a strong distrust of human nature.
Define the ‘Social Contract’ according to John Locke.
Government derives from the consent of the governed
Locke argued that individuals have inalienable rights that exist in the state of nature.
What is Indentured Servitude?
A short-term labor arrangement where servants sold their labor for a set period
Primarily involved poor white populations hoping to escape poverty in Great Britain.
What were the Coercive or ‘Intolerable’ Acts?
A series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774
Included the Boston Port Bill and the suspension of the Massachusetts government.
What was the First Continental Congress?
Convened in Philadelphia in September 1774 to protest the ‘Intolerable Acts’
It denounced Acts of Parliament and organized militia companies.
Who was Thomas Paine?
A political pamphleteer and author of ‘Common Sense’
His work reshaped popular thinking during the Revolutionary Era.
What is the significance of ‘Common Sense’?
The single most important piece of writing during the Revolutionary Era, selling over 100,000 copies
It put independence squarely on the agenda.
What does ‘Age of Experiments’ refer to?
A term characterizing the Revolutionary Era focused on testing new hypotheses in various fields
Included scientific, philosophical, religious, political, and economic aspects.
What are some suggestions made by Thomas Paine?
Annual Assemblies, leadership consisting of a President and Continental Congress, division of colonies into districts
Suggested an intermediate body between the governed and the governors.
What is the structure of the Declaration of Independence?
Part I: Introduction, Part II: Theory of good government, Part III: List of grievances, Part IV: Proclamation of sovereignty
Each part serves a specific purpose in articulating the colonies’ position.
Who is Benjamin Franklin?
An advocate for experimentation, printmaker, and a founding figure in the Declaration of Independence
He founded civic organizations and contributed to the U.S. Constitution.
Who was William Penn?
A Quaker who founded Pennsylvania in 1682 and embraced religious tolerance
He planned Philadelphia as a utopian city.
Define ‘Artisans’.
Skilled mechanics in diverse industries, literate and self-educated
Comprised half the population of Philadelphia by 1750 and became proponents of Revolution.
What is Deism?
The belief in a God who created the world but does not intervene in it
It emerged in the late 17th century and applies reason to religious belief.
