Topic 3.4: Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

What did most American colonists still desire as late as the early 1770s?

They wanted to remain British subjects, not achieve independence, but sought fair treatment and respect for their rights as British citizens.

What event ended before colonial attitudes began to shift toward revolution?

The French and Indian War.

What event marked the beginning of new revolutionary thinking in the colonies?

The American Revolution.

What did colonial thinkers begin to reconsider between the end of the French and Indian War and the start of the Revolution?

Their views on government, natural rights, and the relationship between rulers and the people.

What European intellectual movement heavily influenced colonial thought before the Revolution?

The Enlightenment.

Why did Enlightenment ideas flourish in the American colonies?

Because colonists were building new societies largely free of old European traditions and hierarchies, making the New World a laboratory for new political and social ideas.

What made the colonies distinct from Europe in terms of social and political experimentation?

They lacked centuries of entrenched social hierarchies, allowing new ideas about government and human nature to thrive.

What kind of ideas inspired revolutionary thinking in America?

Enlightenment, Radical Whig, and religious (Great Awakening) ideas.

What was the first major Enlightenment concept embraced by American colonists?

The elevation of the individual as the basic unit of society, not large hereditary or aristocratic groups.

What was the second major Enlightenment idea influential to American revolutionaries?

The concept of natural rights — that all humans are born with rights derived from God, not governments.

Who was one of the most influential thinkers behind the idea of natural rights?

John Locke.

What natural rights did Enlightenment thinkers like Locke believe all people possess?

Life, liberty, and property.

Why was the idea of natural rights revolutionary?

It implied that rulers and monarchs had no divine authority to infringe upon rights that came directly from God.

What Enlightenment concept explained how governments were formed to protect natural rights?

The social contract.

Who developed the social contract theory?

Thinkers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

What did the social contract theory assert?

That individuals collectively agree to form governments to protect their natural rights, and that government authority comes from the consent of the governed.

What rights did people retain under the social contract?

They gave up some freedoms for protection but retained ultimate sovereignty to replace unjust governments.

According to Enlightenment thought, what could people do if a government violated the social contract?

They had the right to overthrow or replace that government.

What dominant idea of power did the social contract challenge?

The divine right of kings.

What did the divine right of kings assert?

That God granted monarchs authority to rule, so subjects must obey without question.

Why was Enlightenment political thought a radical departure from traditional European governance?

Because it placed sovereignty in the hands of the people rather than monarchs.

Who were the Radical Whigs?

A group of British political writers who opposed corruption and the concentration of hereditary power.

What did the Radical Whigs warn against?

Political corruption and the dangers of tyranny from unchecked power in the hands of monarchs and aristocrats.

What did “arbitrary power” mean to the Radical Whigs?

Power obtained through birthright or heredity rather than talent or merit.

How did Radical Whig ideas influence the colonies?

They inspired colonists to value personal merit, liberty, and civic virtue over hereditary privilege.

What cultural shift did Radical Whig ideas encourage in America?

They encouraged valuing individual talent and civic virtue above inherited social rank.

What earlier religious movement continued to shape colonial political thought?

The First Great Awakening.

How did the Great Awakening influence American identity?

It strengthened religious identity and the belief that liberty was a divine gift.

What lesson did colonists learn from the Great Awakening about authority?

That individuals could challenge established authority, both religious and political.

How did the Great Awakening foster revolutionary thinking?

It encouraged skepticism toward centralized authority and emphasized individual conscience and experience.

What connection did colonists make between religion and liberty?

They viewed their freedom as a blessing from God and saw threats to liberty as moral evils.

What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress (1774)?

To create a unified plan to resist British violations of colonial rights, especially after the passage of the Intolerable Acts.

Where and when did the First Continental Congress meet?

In Philadelphia in 1774.

What strategy did the First Continental Congress adopt?

They endorsed continued boycotts of British goods and organized collective resistance rather than individual colony action.

When did fighting first erupt between British soldiers and colonists?

In 1775.

Where did the first battles of the American Revolution take place?

Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

How many colonists were killed in the initial fighting at Lexington and Concord?

Eight.

What resulted from these early clashes?

The Second Continental Congress convened as a provisional government to organize colonial defense against British aggression.

When did the Second Continental Congress meet?

1775.

What document did the Second Continental Congress send to the King to seek peace?

The Olive Branch Petition.

What was the goal of the Olive Branch Petition?

To restore a proper colonial relationship with Britain while preserving their rights as British subjects.

How did King George III respond to the Olive Branch Petition?

He rejected it completely.

Whose pamphlet helped turn colonial opinion toward full independence?

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense.

When was Common Sense published?

1776.

What was the main argument of Common Sense?

That independence from Britain was the only logical and moral course forward.

What ideas did Paine use to justify independence?

Enlightenment principles such as natural rights, the social contract, and republicanism.

What religious argument did Paine use against monarchy?

He referenced the Old Testament, arguing that kingship was sinful and against God’s will.

How did Common Sense affect colonial sentiment?

It united many colonists behind the cause of independence by combining Enlightenment and biblical reasoning.

What document formally declared the colonies’ independence from Britain?

The Declaration of Independence.

Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson.

Who assisted Jefferson in drafting and editing the Declaration?

John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.

What sources influenced Jefferson’s writing of the Declaration?

Dozens of colonial and local declarations, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights.

What was the main purpose of the Declaration of Independence?

To announce and justify the colonies’ formal separation from British rule.

What key Enlightenment concepts are embedded in the Declaration?

Natural rights, popular sovereignty, and the social contract.