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World History Chapter 22 Notes

Enlightenment & Revolution

Section 1
The Scientific Revolution

Scientific Revolution
Middle Age scholars based their ideas on the works of ancient Greek thinkers
such as Aristotle, Ptolemy, and Galen
- Believed earth was flat and that it was the center of the universe
1600s Scientific Revolution began
Nicolaus Copernicus
Proved that the earth was round and that it rotated on its axis as it revolved
around the sun
Sun was at the center of the universe
He was afraid to publish his ideas
Johannes Kepler
Used mathematical formulas to show that the planets revolve around the sun
Proved planets move in oval paths called ellipses
Kepler challenged the teachings of academic and religious leaders (Protestant)
Galileo
1609 built telescope and observed night skies
became convinced that Copernicuss theory was correct
Catholic Church forced him to recant his work
- Continued to work in secret
Helped to establish the universal laws of physics
Francis Bacon
English philosopher who claimed that ideas based solely on tradition or unproven
facts should be completely discarded
Helped develop the scientific method
Isaac Newton
Developed theory of universal gravitation
Developed calculus to prove his theory
William Harvey
English physician who made advances understanding human anatomy
- Discovered that blood circulates through the body pumped by the heart
Disproved many of Galens hypothesis
- Liver digested food and processed it into blood
Robert Hooke
Used newly invented microscope to discover the cell
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Section 2
The Enlightenment in Europe

Political Ideas
Philosophers began believing that political, economic and social relationships
could also be understood through reasoned analyses
Political philosophers believed in the idea of natural law or universal moral law
that , like physical laws, could be understood by applying reason
1600s England struggled with political tensions of a Civil War
- Country was divided between people who wanted the king to have absolute
power and those who though the people should have the right to govern
themselves
Thomas Hobbes used natural law to argue that an absolute monarchy was the
best form of government
- Believed that violence and disorder came naturally to human beings and chaos
would occur with an absolute monarch
John Locke believed that government was base on a social contract and that it
was necessary to establish order
- Believed that people in a state of nature are reasonable and moral
- Natural rights rights belonging to all humans from birth (Life, Liberty, and
Property)
- Thomas Jefferson based much of the Declaration of Independence on
Lockes ideas
Reason Influenced Law and Religion
Began incorporating scientific or reasoned thoughts in applying the law
- Placed less emphasize on heresy and confessions made under torture
- Helped to end unjust trials
1600s Several people made the 1st attempts to create a body of international law
- William Penn Founder of the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania
- Believed in pacifism (opposition to war and violence)
- Advocated an assembly of nations committed to world peace
1700s New religious philosophy called deism
- Believed in one God
- Denounced organized religion declaring that it exploited peoples ignorance and
superstitions
- Intended to construct a simpler and more natural religion based on reason and
natural law
Section 3
The Enlightenment Spreads

Age of Enlightenment
Late 1600s through the 1700s
People studied the world as though they were looking at it for the 1st time
- No longer held back by tradition
Enlightened thinkers perceived the universe as a machine governed by fixed laws
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- Saw God as the master mechanic of the universe (the builder of a machine who
provided laws and then allowed it to run on its own
- Believed in progress or the idea that the world and its people could be improved
Started a philosophical revolution
Spreading Ideas
Philosophes Thinkers of the Enlightenment who spread new and exciting ideas
1751 Encyclopedia 1st published
- 28 volumes covered everything then known about the sciences technology and
history
- It criticized the church and government and praised religious tolerance
- Denis Diderot sent to prison for it publication
Baron de Montesquieu Believed that government should be divided equally
among 3 branches of government
- Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
Voltaire writer who wrote plays, essays, and books that were often satirical
- believed in free speech I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it
Enlightenment Opponents
Some people saw the structure and ordered view of the universe as overly
rational and devoid of emotion and feeling
Jean- Jacques Rousseau criticized the eras reliance on reason
- Believed that people should rely more on instinct and emotion
Immanuel Kant Believed that reason could not answer the problems of
metaphysics (Branch of philosophy that deals with spiritual issues such as the
existence of God)
John Wesley Led a movement called Methodism
- Stressed the value of personal religious experience
- Wanted more feeling in religion
Section 4
The American Revolution
Road to Revolt
Mid 1700s 13 colonies thrived on the east coast of North America
Population reached 1.5 million people by 1763
- People had migrated to escape religious persecution or to gain a new start on life
Radical political ideas about republicanism, universal suffrage, liberty and
equality remained in the colonies
Frontier hardships and easy access to land blurred class division
Colonist were used to governing themselves
- Each colony had its own representative assembly
The British Empire in America
Government left the colonies alone except for regulating trade
Colonies main role was to produce goods mostly raw materials that could not be
produced in Great Britain and to markets for British manufactured goods
Colonies economies thrived
- South plantations grew tobacco, rice and indigo
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- Middle grew enough food to feed families and trade throughout the year
- New England turned to the sea as a result of poor soil
1600s England passed Navigation Acts
- Colonies were required export certain products only to Great Britain
- All goods going to the colonies 1st had to pass through Great Britain (duty had
to be paid)
- Werent completely enforced
Colonial Political Power
Most of the colonies were managed by a governor appointed by the king
Each colony also had an elected assembly
Higher percentage of the population voted (land easer to acquire)
Assemblies and governors fought for power
- Most arguments were over money
Colonies held firm to their right to approve any new taxes requested by the
Crown
Tightening Colonial Controls
French and Indian War caused the British Government to interfere more in
colony affairs
- Needed money to pay for the cost of the war
1763 - George Greenville appointed 1st Lord of the Treasury
- Issued a proclamation of 1763 that said colonist couldnt settle west of the
Appalachian Mtns. (wanted to avoid conflicts with Indians)
- Began enforcing Navigation Acts (tried smugglers in British military courts)
Stamp Act tax on all printed materials,
- Required that all printed materials newspapers, shipping documents, playing
cards bear a stamp to show that a tax had been paid to Great Britain
- Direct Tax tax paid directly to the government rather than being included in
the price of goods
Colonial Protest
Boycotted British Goods (Refused to buy)
Attacked Stamp Agents
Colonies said they could not be taxed since they had no representatives in
Parliament (No taxation without representation)
Boston Massacre five people in a mob killed by British soldiers
England repealed most of the taxes but kept a tax on tea
Boston Tea Party colonist dumped British tea into Boston harbor
Intolerable Acts Closed Boston harbor until tea had been paid for and required
citizens to house and feed soldiers
First Continental Congress
September 5, 1774 56 delegates met in Philadelphia
1st time colonies were united as a group
Congress resolved that the colonies were entitled to a free and exclusive power of
legislation
- Only colonial legislatures had the right to make laws
Agreed not import goods from Great Britain after December 1774
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Agreed not to export goods to Greta Britain after September 1775

Volunteer armies were organized in every colony (minutemen)

A War for Independence

April 19, 1775 Massachusetts governor ordered General Thomas Gauge to
seize colonist military supplies at Concord
- Paul Revere and William Dawes warned the minutemen
- British met resistance as they marched to Concord and back to Boston
Moving Toward Separation
May 1775 Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia
Organized an army
- Named George Washington military commander
Tried one last time to arrange a peaceful compromise
- Sent Olive Branch Petition to King George III
- British government refused the petition
- Ended chances of peaceful settlement
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense
- Called upon colonist to break away from Great Britain
Thomas Jefferson wrote
- Stated the colonist reasons for The Declaration of Independence separation
from Great Britain
- Jefferson influenced by John Lockes concept of the social contract
- July 4 1776 Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence
- Made reconciliation with Great Britain impossible
The War for Independence
Revolution the violent overthrow of a government
Britain had a stronger army
Had to fight a long distance war
- Had to conquer the whole country to win
Battle of Saratoga - turning point of the war
- Colonies victory convinced France help
- Spain followed in 1779
- England became less interested in defeating the colonies
Battle of Yorktown last battle of the
- British surrender in October 1781
The United States Government
United States was a confederation or loose union of independent states in the
beginning
Articles of Confederation 1st government in U.S
- Too weak to deal with national problems
The Constitution set up a federal government in which political power was
divided between the national and states governments
- Also provided for separation of powers
- U.S. was a republic in which the President was elected
The Republics Significance
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Proved the Enlightenment values could work in practice

Has inspired peoples throughout the world seeking freedom from oppression