I think that another way in which the Enlightenment played a critical role in the independence and founding of America can be seen in Colonial acts of protest against the British. Many of the actions that the Colonists took against the British were rooted in the idea of reciprocity, reasonability, and empowerment. These are Enlightenment ideas. For example, the Colonists took to resentment in how the British failed to effectively acknowledge their support during the French and Indian War. The Enlightenment idea of reasonability can be seen in such a cultural attitude. Enlightenment principles affirmed that individuals should not subjugate themselves to or for anyone and mutual respect equated with scientific principles of equality. For the Colonists, to experience continued disrespect after making a sizable commitment was not reasonable and thus helped to foster a sense of rebellion from the British. Further evidence of this can be seen in the...
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protests against the Stamp Act. The protests against the Stamp Act resulted in petitions being drafted, grievances being aired, and a sense of collective strength emerging in the demand for rights and respect. These ideas mirror the questioning of orthodoxy that existed at the heart of the Enlightenment, as well as "the freedom to use one's intelligence." For the Colonists, it was not intelligent to submit to the Stamp Act and other British- imposed initiatives that took away from their freedom. The Colonists perceived the British acts as a means to take away personal liberties and a sense of autonomy that they did not feel was subject to British rule. These ideas are Enlightenment ideals in their very essence. When James Otis suggests that "A man's home is his castle" and when Patrick Henry suggests "Give me liberty or give me death," one is reminded of how the Enlightenment ideas of freedom, self- determination, and self- interest existed at the core of the American desire for freedom and independence from England. These ideas become a part of the founding of the nation in both the act of declaring and maintaining independence from the parent nation.
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