Significant Terms
The war of 1775–83 in which 13 British colonies in North America broke free from British rule and became the United States of America.
What is the American Revolution?
English physicist and mathematician, who was the culminating figure of the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century.
Who is Isaac Newton?
Earth-centered; a system of planetary motion in which the sun, moon, and other plants revolve around the Earth.
What is geocentric?
An eighteenth century religious philosophy based on reason and natural law.
What is deism?
A systematic procedure for collecting and analyzing evidence that was crucial to the evolution of science in the modern world.
What is the scientific method?
Organization formed in the American colonies in the summer of 1765 to oppose the Stamp Act.
Who were the Sons of Liberty?
French term applied to intellectuals during the Enlightenment.
What is philosophe?
It explains that planetary bodies continue in elliptical orbits around the sun because every object in the universe is attracted to every other object by a force called gravity.
What is the universal law of gravitation?
The concept that an entire society agrees to be governed by its general will and all individuals should be forced to abide by it since it represents what is best for the entire community.
What is the social contract?
Elegant urban drawing rooms where people gathered to discuss the ideas of the philosophes.
What is a salon?
In U.S. history, document that was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and that announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain.
What is the Declaration of Independence?
French writer, playwright and poet; pseudonym of Francois-Marie Arouet. He was a leading figure of the Enlightenment, and frequently came into conflict with the establishment because of his radical views.
Who is Voltaire?
Sun-centered; the system of the universe in which the Earth and plants revolve around the sun.
What is heliocentric?
What is laissez-faire?
The principle that religion should not play a role in government, education, or other parts of society.
What is secularism?
The last major conflict before the French Revolution to involve all the great powers of Europe. The conflict arose out of the attempt of the Austrian Habsburgs to win back the rich province of Silesia, which had been wrested from them by Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia during the War of the Austrian Succession (1740–48).
What is the Seven Years' War?
French philosopher, born in Switzerland; wrote The Social Contract (1762).
Who is Jean-Jacques Rousseau?
The doctrine that scientists should proceed from the particular to the general by making systematic observations and carefully organized experiments to test theories.
What is inductive reasoning?
A form of government in which the executive, legislative, and judicial branches limit and control each other through a system of checks and balances.
What is separation of powers?
A system in which rulers tried to govern by Enlightenment principles while maintaining their full royal powers
What is enlightened absolutism?
A convention of delegates from the 13 colonies that formed in Philadelphia in May 1775, soon after the launch of the American Revolutionary War.
What is the Second Continental Congress?
French philosopher, mathematician and scientist. Dubbed the father of modern western philosophy, much of subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his own writings.
Who is René Descartes?
A system of thought expounded by Descartes based on the belief that reason is the chief source of knowledge.
What is rationalism?
A system of government that divides the powers of government between the national (central) government and state and local governments.
What is the federal system?
One of the basic charters of human liberties, containing the principles that inspired the French Revolution.
What is the Declaration of the Rights of Man?