US History - Locke & Jefferson Review
EQ: How did Enlightenment Ideas Influence the American System of Government?
Do Now: Locke & American Government
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| Utilized | Activity | Time Allocated | Mode of Activity | |||||
| ____ | Do Now | _________ / 2-5 Min | (Individual / Think-Pair-Share / Pair / Group #____) | |||||
| ____ | Mini Lesson | _________/ 15-20 Min | (Individual / Think-Pair-Share / Pair / Group #____) | |||||
| ____ | Activity | _________ / 20-30 Min | (Individual / Think-Pair-Share / Pair / Group #_____) | |||||
| ____ | Discussion/Exit Ticket | _________ / 5-10 Min | (Individual / Think-Pair-Share / Pair / Group #____) | |||||
| ____ | Assessment | _________ / 10-40 Min | (Individual / Think-Pair-Share / Pair / Group #____) | |||||
| ____ | Conferencing | _________ Min | (Individual / Pair / Group #____ / Throughout Class Period) | |||||
Locke & Jefferson
Jefferson gave us the Declaration of Independence. Who gave us Jefferson?
Before the 1700s, almost every government around the world was a tyranny – a harsh, abusive government. This was completely normal. Rulers often believed that God had chosen them because they were superior to common citizens, and that the rulers had a right to dominate every aspect of the people’s lives. As for the people’s rights, they usually didn’t exist. Their purpose was to serve the government. This system was widely accepted, because no one knew there was another way. Then came the Enlightenment.
The Enlightenment was a period of time in Europe and America during the 1700s in which influential philosophers and authors helped prove the power of thought, reason and investigation. No longer would ignorance, superstition and tyranny rule. Enlightenment ideas helped to stimulate people's sense of individualism and the basic belief in equal rights. This in turn led to the Glorious Revolution in Britain, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the Latin American revolutions. Some of these revolutions resulted in new governments based upon the ideas of the Enlightenment.
The concept of the social contract.
The social contract is an implied agreement between citizens and their government. It is the idea that people sacrifice some degree of freedom in exchange for the safety and order of society. The social contract is the foundation for the idea that government derives its power from the consent of the governed, which means that any government is invalid (faulty, illegitimate, not valid) without the blessing and support of its people. Two classic examples are speed limits and no-smoking laws in hospitals. Think about how in each case, individuals give up certain freedoms because doing so will benefit or protect others. Almost everyone agrees to these two social contracts every day.
John Locke (England)
Locke, a British philosopher, based his theories on his assessment of human nature. He believed that people could be reasonable and moral. In his book, “Two Treatises of Government,” Locke explained that all men have Natural Rights, which are Life, Liberty, and Property, and that the purpose of government was to protect these rights. Furthermore, Locke stated that if government does not protect these rights, and becomes bad for the people, then they have a right to revolution. Locke supported a limited government that protected people's natural rights. The U.S. government is limited by the fact that the Constitution guarantees so many individual rights, or protections against government abuse.
Activities
Lesson Activity: Locke & Jefferson - Revolutionary Ideas