2. Identify the color of the mineral oil layer in the test tube when each of the following species is present: I2, Br2, Cl2, I–, Br–, and Cl–.…
As our textbook describes it, the Enlightenment period “encouraged people to study the world around them, to think for themselves, and to ask whether the disorderly appearance of things masked the principles of a deeper, more profound natural order” (Roark Ch 5) The Enlightenment ideas of John Locke proved to be the most influential as they became the base of the early American government. He believed “government was a social contract obtaining power by consent of the governed, and individuals agreed to surrender certain power to it.” (Doyle, 8/12) While in the beginning the colonist agreed with John Locke’s views, it wasn’t until around 1765 when Britain tried to gain more control over the colonies through the initiation of the Stamp Act that the colonists began to use these ideas to defend their rights. Even though at this time they had no interest in separating themselves from England, it was this belief that they were entitled to some say in their government and taxation that resulted in the “The Declaration of Rights and Grievances.” Which was…
Thomas Jefferson, the main author of the Declaration of Independence, begins the world-changing document by introducing the circumstances that the colonists faced; he touches upon the necessity of this action and the “self-evident” human rights that supported this motion. The Declaration further solidifies this concept in the philosophical and rational preamble by melding together concepts of the natural rights of citizens with the role of government to support these rights. At its core, this “consent of the governed” means that the people should, and in fact are obliged to, repel any rule that attempts to suppress the “unalienable” rights that all men have. Now that it’s been established the rights that exist and must be upheld, the document…
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” sparks the idea that everyone is equal and are given this equality by God, not the English government (Jefferson 679). This statement shines a light on a belief that is well known, but may have been forgotten through King George’s tyranny. Jefferson helps the colonists see that their basic rights should not be subject to change by King George and that these rights are imperishable. Then, Jefferson presses onto his belief “that whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it...” which is the case of the tyrannical English rule in the colonies (Jefferson 679). This statement questions why the colonists would consider…
In the 1600s, when America was a mysterious land inhabited by even more mysterious people, a handful of brave souls ventured to this strange new world. These brave souls were known as the Puritans. This special group of people sought refuge in America to practice their religion freely, without the ‘corruption of the church’ back in their homeland. Puritans believed that the law, economy and social lives of the people should be completely controlled by their one God. These Puritans had a strong developmental impact on New England and lead their society on a religious foundation. The strict foundation had a distinct impact on the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from the 1630s through the 1660s.…
The Declaration of Independence marked a significant turning point in American history. It has been rendered a sacrosanct document, an amalgamate of the anti-British sentiments that impelled the revolution. The declaration postulated several revolutionary ideas, influenced by the period’s increasing philosophical emphasis on reason and logic. Indeed, the Enlightenment fostered many of the dogmas presented in the declaration, the most inviolable being the idea of man’s unalienable rights. The declaration radically altered all ideological spheres of America - a once colonial body was suddenly transformed into an open republic, gleaming with unfathomable possibility. The political, economic, and especially cultural spheres of America were restructured in many progressive ways - however, restructuring in a social ideological sphere was still hindered in the years succeeding the declaration.…
Go back all the way to the 16th and 17th century era, a time where you new groups of people were forming; coming together because of common beliefs or shared interests. One group who was particularly sturdy and large was the Puritans. The Puritans believed in many of their own beliefs, but the main belief that they all had in common was their views on religion. The Puritans practiced their own religion derived from Anglicanism, and had many strict beliefs and feelings towards their own lifestyles. These harsh feelings caused many people pain, and others being forced to believe in what the Puritans did.…
Thomas Jefferson, a prime example of an original American politician, put many motions into action in regard to the creation of this new land. One of Jefferson’s greatest accomplishments is the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. This single document made way for the American Revolution to set sail and succeed. Within this piece of writing, Jefferson declared that “all men are created equal” (Jefferson 762). Though this statement, Jefferson put the image of equality and freedom in sight. He also writes of the American people as “a people who mean to be free” (Jefferson 343). These statements laid the foundation of the ideas behind the creation of this document and the reasoning behind its…
In this way, he separates himself from the crowd of Enlightenment thinkers and authors, giving birth to an American Enlightenment that retained the fundamental ideals of its European counterpart but departed from the beaten track. To explain such a distinctive presence, Jefferson most likely read and studied very widely, running the gamut from Baruch de Spinoza all the way to Thomas Paine, but he made it all his own possession, taking and modifying the parts with which he agreed and cutting out the parts that did not suit him, just as he did with the Jefferson Bible. Nevertheless, it is difficult to ignore the striking similarities between Jefferson’s major ideas and the principles of English philosopher John Locke. Although Locke advocated for an abundance of different religions as opposed to Jefferson’s utopian world of a singular, absolutist belief system, the two thinkers are bonded by their common sentiment that human nature is characterized by reason, sensibility and tolerance, and of course, their famous mutual conviction that all men are created…
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to declare the independence of the American colonies from English rule. On the Fourth of July, they approved the final edited version of the Declaration of Independence. The members of the Continental Congress made only two minor changes in the opening paragraphs of Jefferson's draft declaration. Most scholars today believe that Jefferson derived the most famous ideas in the Declaration of Independence from the writings of English philosopher John Locke. Locke wrote that all individuals are equal in the sense that they are born with certain inalienable natural rights. That is, rights that are God given and can never be taken or even given away. Among these fundamental natural rights, Locke said they are life, liberty and property. Locke believed that the most basic human law…
Edwards was a Puritan who, throughout his years at college, challenged the ideas of each religion.6 In his sermon, “Christian Knowledge”, Edwards stated that “every Christian should make a business of endeavoring to grow in knowledge in divinity”.7 He argued that ministers should not be the only person allowed to acquire knowledge from the bible and it should be a right given to everyone. He also said that “if men have no knowledge of these things, the faculty of reason in them will be wholly in vain”.7 Edwards preached that without knowledge, people would not be able to make decisions for themselves and they would have to rely on others to make the decisions for them. Therefore, the right of knowledge should be given to everyone and not just the divine and ministers. Another clergy who preached to the masses the importance of a republic was George Whitefield. Whitefield was an English Anglican priest who had an important role in the spread of the Great Awakening in the colonies.8 In his sermon, “The Extent and Reasonableness of Self-Denial”, Whitefield stated that “we must deny ourselves the pleasurable indulgences and the self-enjoyment of riches”.8 Instead, Whitefield argues that the rich take into account the needs of others. Ideas of equality of power and the need to care for all people are evident later in the Preamble to the…
The Enlightenment, which largely took place in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was an intellectual movement that focused on the development of reason and secularism, rather than spirituality. As a result, it directly influenced political and economic policy, especially within the British colonies. One very well-known philosopher was, John Locke; he argued the ideas of natural rights, social contract, and revolution. At their essence, these three concepts proved to be the philosophical basis for the colonies’ protest movement against imperial British policy. Natural rights are defined by a specific group of entitlements, such as freedom, privacy, and life, which are granted to every human being despite them not being written in law.…
In accordance to the Age of Enlightenment where individuals sought to shed the light of science and reason on the world in order to question traditional ideas, Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” borrows enlightenment ideals from major figures, such as John Locke, to enhance his rational message of colonial separation from British rule. According to Immanuel Kant, the Enlightenment is man’s emancipation from self-imposed immaturity to use their own reason; he explains how individuals can reach enlightenment, and thus true freedom, through scholarly and public criticism of laws and practices in order to progress towards a just society. With reason as a source of light to both, how did Jefferson’s views on individual freedom compare…
From a religious point of view, Puritans left a significant mark in the establishing of the American colonies by becoming the most vibrant Christian civilization. Puritans had a very difficult role in the new society; not only Puritans acted as the first representatives, but also established a series of basic political traditions for the benefit of the community in the colonies. The Puritan culture was spread throughout New England, creating the foundations of a national patriotism. Puritans established political communities in New England under the idea or vision of a Christian devotion. They were hard worshipper and God was their ultimate guidance because they trusted his divine mission. They felt that they were people ‘chosen’ by God, but…
Although not as significant, the American Revolution brought various spiritual changes deriving from the fight for spiritual freedom. The strive for religious equality became Thomas Jefferson’s main motive in writing a bill that soon developed into the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. The Americans strongly believed that they should be able to choose their faiths without affliction from the government. After many years of the American’s protesting for their natural rights, the disestablishment of the Anglican Church transformed into the Protestant Episcopal Church, finally bringing greater religious freedom which allowed other churches to flourish. This reformation brought separation from church and state and affirmed that American’s civil law will have no dependence on religious opinions.…