After the colonies fought and won their independence from Britain, a new age was ushered in. This was known as the Age of Enlightenment.
This spirit behind this ideal was to give America a practical and useful form in the life of this new nation.
Key contributors to this time period were men like Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. They used these new ideas to further shape our country. They included them into the United States Constitution as well as the Bill of Rights. Benjamin Franklin also got involved in this time and his writings in the scientific world reflect this.
The American Enlightenment emphasized several key principles that shaped our nation.
Individual Liberty
This is the belief that personal freedoms are owed to each of us and should be protected by the law. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Separation of Powers
This was crucial for our government in that it ensured not one branch of government had more power than another. It was up to the government officials to remember WHO ultimately their power was coming from. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” Romans 13:1
Rational Governance
This was the belief that government should be based on reason as well as the consent of those it is governing rather than on tradition or divine right. In other words, our nation would not be led solely by one man (i.e. a king) but rather by many men working together for the good of our nation. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” I Peter 2:13-14
The ideals of the American Enlightenment not only laid the foundation for future democratic principles and civil rights movements but it also highly influenced our founding documents.
The legacy of these men and the work they did continues on today in our discussions about liberty, justice and how to govern our country.
