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Enlightenment | Definition, History, & Facts

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Enlightenment: Enlightenment, a European intellectual movement of the 17th and 18th centuries in which ideas concerning God, reason, nature, and humanity were synthesized into a worldview that gained wide assent in the West and that instigated revolutionary developments in art, philosophy, and politics.

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Blake's representation of Newton.

The Age of Reason, as it was called, was spreading rapidly across Europe. In the late 17th century, scientists like Isaac Newton and writers like John Locke were challenging the old order. Newton's laws of gravity and motion described the world in terms of natural laws beyond any spiritual force. In the wake of political turmoil in England, Locke asserted the right of a people to change a government that did not protect natural rights of life, liberty and property. People were beginning to doubt the existence of a God who could predestine human beings to eternal damnation and empower a tyrant for a king. Europe would be forever changed by these ideas.

In America, intellectuals were reading these ideas as well. On their side of the Atlantic, Enlightened ideas of liberty and progress had a chance to flourish without the shackles of Old Europe. Religious leaders began to change their old dogmatic positions. They began to emphasize the similarities between the Anglican Church and the Puritan Congregationalists rather than the differences. Even Cotton Mather, the Massachusetts minister who wrote and spoke so convincingly about the existence of witches advocated science to immunize citizens against smallpox. Harvard ministers became so liberal that Yale College was founded in New Haven in 1707 in an attempt to retain old Calvinist ideas. This attempt failed and the entire faculty except one converted to the Church of England in 1722. By the end of the century, many New England ministers would become Unitarians, doubting even the divinity of Christ.
Triomphe de Voltaire
New ideas shaped political attitudes as well. John Locke defended the displacement of a monarch who would not protect the lives, liberties, and property of the English people. Jean-Jacques Rousseau stated that society should be ruled by the "general will" of the people. Baron de Montesquieu declared that power should not be concentrated in the hands of any one individual. He recommended separating power among executive, legislative, judicial branches of government. American intellectuals began to absorb these ideas. The delegates who declared independence from Britain used many of these arguments. The entire opening of the Declaration of Independence is Thomas Jefferson's application of John Locke's ideas. The constitutions of our first states and the United States Constitution reflect Enlightenment principles. The writings of Benjamin Franklin made many Enlightenment ideas accessible to the general public.

The old way of life was represented by superstition, an angry God, and absolute submission to authority. The thinkers of the Age of Reason ushered in a new way of thinking. This new way championed the accomplishments of humankind. Individuals did not have to accept despair. Science and reason could bring happiness and progress. Kings did not rule by divine right. They had an obligation to their subjects. Europeans pondered the implications for nearly a century. Americans put them into practice first.

Second Treatise on Government
That Adam had not, either by natural right of fatherhood or by positive donation from God, any such authority over his children, nor dominion over the world, as is pretended. -John Locke Second Treatise on Government

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The Impact of Enlightenment in Europe [ushistory.org]

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Blake's representation of Newton. The Age of Reason, as it was called, was spreading rapidly across Europe. In the late 17th century, scientists like Isaac Newton and writers like John Locke were challenging the old order. Newton's laws of gravity and motion described the world in terms of natural laws beyond any spiritual force.

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What role did my ancestors help and play in the Enlightenment?

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What role did my ancestors help and play in the Enlightenment?

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My ancestors probably took place in making phones and new communications during the Enlightenment.

My early ancestors also could have been philosophers or scientists like John Locke who invented new science and technology.

The last thing my ancestors probably did in the Enlightenment was be involved with politics or be a leader. They most likely motivated different religions and cultures on other places to act and believe a certain way.

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What impact has The Enlightenment had on the world?

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What impact has The Enlightenment had on the world?

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The Enlightenment lead to the American Revolution and American Independence which caused deaths and still affects us today.

The Enlightenment also changed science and politics which also influences us today.

The last thing the Enlightenment improved and changed were communications and that could help invent phones that we have now.

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European politics improved during the Enlightenment.

Philosophy spread more quickly after the Enlightenment.

The Enlightenment means the Age of Reason.

European science also improved after this period.

New communications were introduced into Europe because of the period.

John Locke, Sir. Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton brought new science during the Enlightenment.

This period also lead to the American Revolution and Independence.

The Enlightenment had many different cultures and religions.

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My ancestors came from the location of Northern Europe and had something to do with The Enlightenment.

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My ancestors came from the location of Northern Europe and had something to do with The Enlightenment.

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Two historical groups that were related to The Enlightenment were John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton.

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Two historical groups that were related to The Enlightenment were John Locke, Francis Bacon, and Isaac Newton.

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1650-1701

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People lived on the North American continent long before Christopher Columbus's voyage. Archaeologists have found evidence that the first settlers came to North America at least 16,000 years ago. They probably followed grazing animals across a land bridge that connected Alaska to Siberia during the Ice Age. This land bridge disappeared when the ice melted; the area is now covered with water and is called the Bering Strait. In 2013, scientists and archaeologists made a surprising discovery. They learned that at least one-third of Native Americans probably descended from people from the Middle East or Europe, rather than East Asia. We still don't have all the answers, but the history of Native Americans is more complex than archaeologists originally believed.
Fun Facts

The first people were excellent hunters. They probably hunted large animals, such as wooly mammoths and bison using nothing but spears.

Native Americans used the natural resources around them for all their needs. They made weapons and tools from bone, stone, and wood. They made clothing from animal skins and plant fibers. They ate wild roots, seeds, and berries, and of course, fish and game.

Native Americans adapted to their environments and climates. In the forests of the Northwest, Native Americans built wooden homes and became skilled fishermen. In the Southwest and Southeast, Native Americans learned how to grow crops. They cleared forests for farmland. The Plains Indians relied on buffalo for food and clothing

Native Americans lived in tribes, or social groups. Each tribe spoke its own language. There were more than 1,000 languages and dialects. Tribes had their own specific traditions and culture.

In general, women had more power in Native American tribes than European women of the same period.

Vocabulary

1. Archaeologist: a scientist who studies human history and culture

2. Ice Age: a period of time in which glaciers cover much of the Earth

3. Complex: having many details

4. Dialect: a language variation spoken by a certain group of people and based on location and culture Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers
Question: Did Native American tribes have government and leaders?

Answer: Many smaller tribes consisted of only 3 to 5 extended family groups. These tribes had no formal government, although wise women or men might sit on a council and offer suggestions. Larger groups sometimes had a chief. Native Americans believed the land was to be shared and used carefully. Individuals couldn't claim a piece of land as their own.
Learn More
Visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian for lesson plans about Native Americans.

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People lived on the North American continent long before Christopher Columbus's voyage. Archaeologists have found evidence that the first settlers came to North America at least 16,000 years ago. They probably followed grazing animals across a land bridge that connected Alaska to Siberia during the Ice Age.

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The first Americans crossed the land bridge that linked Siberia with Alaska during the last Ice Age. Gradually, they spread through the continent. By

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What role did my ancestors play in the Americas?

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What role did my ancestors play in the Americas?

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My ancestors probably helped make jewelry and things made of gold a long time ago.

My early ancestors probably also took part in religious events and kinds of ceremonies.

Last, my ancestors most likely participated in growing crops with the early civilization.

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What impact has the Americas had on the world?

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What impact has the Americas had on the world?

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The early Americans came and grew certain crops which we still grow today and that can affect what we eat.

The Olmec and Aztecs built houses and kinds of statues which are seen in some parts of America today, like Hawaii.

Early Americans also had a way of traveling and making things which alters our future and encourages new ideas in America.

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The first Americans were hunters and gatherers.

They fished and also became farmers.

Mound Builders grew corn, beans, and squash.

Some early Americans lived along the Andes river in South America.

The Americans brought disease and crops from Europe.

They also connected with gods and spirits.

The early Americans sacrificed animals and blood to please the gods.

People mined gold and shaped them into nuggets in America.

Americans also crafted jewelry, ritual objects, and pictures of god.

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My ancestors came from the historical city of America and were part of the Early Americas.

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My ancestors came from the historical city of America and were part of the Early Americas.

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Two historical groups that were related to the Americas were the Olmec tribe and Aztec tribe.

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Two historical groups that were related to the Americas were the Olmec tribe and Aztec tribe.

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If the problem continues, contact the site owner.

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1492

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1st Century A.D.

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Christianity is the world's biggest religion, with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago.

For ease of navigation, we include as Christian any group that sincerely regards itself as Christian, and whose beliefs are based on the teaching of Jesus.

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Christianity is the world's biggest religion, with about 2.1 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago. For ease of navigation, we include as Christian any group that sincerely regards itself as Christian, and whose beliefs are based on the teaching of Jesus.

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The essence and identity of Christianity

At its most basic, Christianity is the faith tradition that focuses on the figure of Jesus Christ. In this context, faith refers both to the believers' act of trust and to the content of their faith. As a tradition, Christianity is more than a system of religious belief. It also has generated a culture, a set of ideas and ways of life, practices, and artifacts that have been handed down from generation to generation since Jesus first became the object of faith. Christianity is thus both a living tradition of faith and the culture that the faith leaves behind. The agent of Christianity is the church, the community of people who make up the body of believers.

To say that Christianity "focuses" on Jesus Christ is to say that somehow it brings together its beliefs and practices and other traditions in reference to a historical figure. Few Christians, however, would be content to keep this reference merely historical. Although their faith tradition is historical-i.e., they believe that transactions with the divine do not occur in the realm of timeless ideas but among ordinary humans through the ages-the vast majority of Christians focus their faith in Jesus Christ as someone who is also a present reality. They may include many other references in their tradition and thus may speak of "God" and "human nature" or of the "church" and the "world," but they would not be called Christian if they did not bring their attentions first and last to Jesus Christ.

While there is something simple about this focus on Jesus as the central figure, there is also something very complicated. That complexity is revealed by the thousands of separate churches, sects, and denominations that make up the modern Christian tradition. To project these separate bodies against the background of their development in the nations of the world is to suggest the bewildering variety. To picture people expressing their adherence to that tradition in their prayer life and church-building, in their quiet worship or their strenuous efforts to change the world, is to suggest even more of the variety.

Given such complexity, it is natural that throughout Christian history both those in the tradition and those surrounding it have made attempts at simplification. Two ways to do this have been to concentrate on the "essence" of the faith, and thus on the ideas that are integral to it, or to be concerned with the "identity" of the tradition, and thus on the boundaries of its historical experience.

Modern scholars have located the focus of this faith tradition in the context of monotheistic religions. Christianity addresses the historical figure of Jesus Christ against the background of, and while seeking to remain faithful to, the experience of one God. It has consistently rejected polytheism and atheism.

A second element of the faith tradition of Christianity, with rare exceptions, is a plan of salvation or redemption. That is to say, the believers in the church picture themselves as in a plight from which they need rescue. For whatever reason, they have been distanced from God and need to be saved. Christianity is based on a particular experience or scheme directed to the act of saving-that is, of bringing or "buying back," which is part of what redemption means, these creatures of God to their source in God. The agent of that redemption is Jesus Christ.

It is possible that through the centuries the vast majority of believers have not used the term essence to describe the central focus of their faith. The term is itself of Greek origin and thus represents only one part of the tradition, one element in the terms that have gone into making up Christianity. Essence refers to those qualities that give something its identity and are at the centre of what makes that thing different from everything else. To Greek philosophers it meant something intrinsic to and inherent in a thing or category of things, which gave it its character and thus separated it from everything of different character. Thus, Jesus Christ belongs to the essential character of Christianity and gives it a unique identity.

If most people are not concerned with defining the essence of Christianity, in practice they must come to terms with what the word essence implies. Whether they are engaged in being saved or redeemed on the one hand, or thinking and speaking about that redemption, its agent, and its meaning on the other, they are concentrating on the essence of their experience. Those who have concentrated from within the faith tradition have also helped to give it its identity. It is not possible to speak of the essence of a historical tradition without referring to how its ideal qualities have been discussed through the ages. Yet one can take up the separate subjects of essence and identity in sequence, being always aware of how they interrelate.

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Christianity | Definition, Origin, History, Beliefs, Symbols, Types, & Facts

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Christianity, major religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus of Nazareth in the 1st century CE. It has become the largest of the world's religions and, geographically, the most widely diffused. Learn about the history of Christianity, its doctrines, and the major Christian traditions.

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What role did my ancestors play in the Spread of Christianity?

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What role did my ancestors play in the Spread of Christianity?

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My ancestors play a role in Christianity because they went to church to learn about Jesus, and probably helped Christianity spread.

My early ancestors also could have been very religious which affected me and if I go to church or not.

When Christianity evolved certain things like literature, my ancestors could have learned about early science and help shape the world.

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What impact has the Spread of Christianity had on the world?

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What impact has the Spread of Christianity had on the world?

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Christianity made a huge impact on education which affects us today.

Christianity also improved science and art and spread it everywhere.

It also evolved literature and writing which still can still change certain things today.

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The historical city and location associated with The Spread of Christianity is Northern Europe.

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The historical city and location associated with The Spread of Christianity is Northern Europe.

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Words of Jesus spread through different Jewish communities

Christianity improved art, music, literature, and religion.

Christianity means "equality of human beings."

This religion has over two billion followers in its time.

Most of Christianity was spread by kings and missionaries.

Merchants, travelers, and local communities adopted to Christianity.

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Two historical figures that were related to the Spread of Christianity were Peter and Paul.

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Two historical figures that were related to the Spread of Christianity were Peter and Paul.

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My ancestors came from the country of Europe and took place in the spread of Christianity.

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The heritage groups that I mostly identify with are The Spread of Christianity, The Americas, and the Enlightenment.

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The heritage groups that I mostly identify with are The Spread of Christianity, The Americas, and the Enlightenment.