Mary Michels

04-13-2020

Bibliography

Professor McDaniel

The Enlightenment or the Age of the Enlightenment occurred during the eighteenth

century. The Enlightenment is best known as a time of great change and new ideas - it also

involved an intellectual movement, in which famous thinkers, and philosophers, such as Thomas

Hobbes, John Locke, Voltaire and Benjamin Franklin challenged some of the basic foundations

of society, including; the role of the government, human nature, sources of authority and ideas

centered on liberty.

The Enlightenment is commonly divided into three periods - The Early Enlightenment

(1685-1730), The High Enlightenment (1730-1780), and The Late Enlightenment and Beyond

(1780-1815). The Early Enlightenment was traced to England in the 1680s where in the span of

three years Isaac Newton published his “Principia Mathematica” in 1686 and also John Locke in

1689 with his “Essay Concerning Human Understanding”; these two works were the base of the

scientific, mathematical and philosophical advances for the future. The Early Enlightenment

included others such as; Englishmen Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes; Frenchman Rene

Descartes and others including Galileo Galilei. The High Enlightenment was described best by

Voltaire’s “Philosophical Dictionary” - as “a chaos of clear ideas.” It received this name because

it centered around the dialogues and publications of many French “philosophes” including

Voltaire, Montesquieu, Buffon and Dennis Diderot, and Rousseau. During this period the

publication of “Encyclopedie” written by the Diderot’s in 1751 until 1777. Another important
detail that happened during the time frame of the High Enlightenment is the “Declaration of

Independence” written by Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. The Late Enlightenment

and Beyond was the time of the French Revolution of 1789 and then led to the rise of Napoleon.

Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in colonial Boston. Franklin was a highly intelligent

man and an inventor of countless inventions such as; the wood burning stove, bifocal glasses,

and his most famous invention he is known for - electricity. James, Benjamin's older brother was

a printer, and Benjamin was his apprentice while living in Boston; however, Benjamin ran away

when he was seventeen years old to Philadelphia where he resided for ten years, while living in

Philadelphia Benjamin found that he devoted much of his life to philanthropic and other

intellectual pursuits. Benjamin established a library, fire house, hospital, and he also founded the

College of Philadelphia - which is now known as the University of Philadelphia - this is known

as one of the finest institutions of higher education in the world.

Benjamin played a big role in our government, he ran in the 1764 election but he lost - he

did not let that stop him at all. He accepted reappointment as a representative for Pennsylvania

and moved back to London where he lived for eleven years. In 1765, one year after accepting

reappointment as a representative for Pennsylvania he joined the committee that approved

Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin also

campaigned against the Stamp Act, which was repealed in 1766.

Benjamin Franklin retired in 1787, he was the oldest delegate to the Constitutional

Congress. Many spend retirement, relaxing, and traveling the world...not Benjamin, he spent his

retirement writing and campaigning against slavery. Benjamin Franklin was an extremely

intelligent individual, who used his intelligence to fight for the rights and independence of the
country he loved the most, up until the time he passed on April 17, 1790. Benjamin Franklin is

the greatest member of a generation of remarkable leaders for the United States of America.