Many of the Constitution's framers had studied the works of Enlightenment writers. Explain how Enlightenment thinkers John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu influenced the ideas in the United States Constitution.

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Elsie Owens

History

5 January, 05:24

Many of the Constitution's framers had studied the works of Enlightenment writers. Explain how Enlightenment thinkers John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu influenced the ideas in the United States Constitution.

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Aleah Ellison · Answer 1

When the Constitution was framed, the ideas of Locke and Montesquieu heavily influenced its contents.

John Locke primarily dealt with the rights of human beings and their freedoms. He stated that the sole duty of government was to protect the natural rights of its citizens; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This idea is clearly seen in the Preamble; " ... and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity ... ", which is a translation of Locke's idea.

Baron de Montesquieu on the other hand created ideas that were key to developing a balanced government, primarily the separation of powers. This is a fundamental part of our union, keeping the whole government in balance, making sure no one branch becomes more powerful than the other.