Enlightenment ideas were intellectual beliefs from thinkers like John Locke and Montesquieu that stressed natural rights (life, liberty, property), the social contract (government exists by consent of the governed), separation of powers, popular sovereignty, and civic virtue. Colonists used these ideas to challenge hereditary privilege and imperial authority—ideas show up in Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence (Jefferson draws on Locke’s natural-rights language). Enlightenment language turned disputes over taxes and representation into arguments about legitimate government: if a ruler violates natural rights or lacks consent, people can change that government. The Great Awakening also reinforced individual conscience and liberty, making Enlightenment claims more popular. For the AP exam, you should link these concepts to documents and use them in DBQs/LEQs and short answers (Topic 3.4 CED keywords). Review the topic study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Because Enlightenment ideas reshaped how colonists thought about authority. Thinkers like John Locke argued that people have natural rights and that political power comes from consent, not birth—so talent, virtue, and achievement became the basis for leadership, not inherited titles (CED KC-3.2.I.A: natural rights, social contract, republicanism). That fit colonial realities: active local assemblies, social mobility, and booming trade rewarded ability. The Great Awakening also pushed more egalitarian religious views that weakened deference to elites. Pamphlets like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence made popular sovereignty and civic virtue mainstream, casting hereditary nobility as incompatible with liberty. This shift is exactly what Topic 3.4 asks you to explain for the exam (Learning Objective D). For a quick review, see the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

A monarchy is a system where political authority rests with a single ruler (a king or queen), often inheriting power by birth and claiming legitimacy from tradition or divine right. Decisions flow downward from that central authority. A republican government, by contrast, is based on popular sovereignty and consent of the governed: leaders are chosen (directly or indirectly) and authority is limited by law to protect natural rights. Republicanism emphasizes civic virtue, mixed government, and often separation of powers to prevent concentration of authority (keywords from the CED: John Locke, natural rights, social contract, Montesquieu, popular sovereignty). Think Common Sense and the Declaration: they argued government should protect rights and be accountable to the people. For AP prep, you should be able to explain how these ideas shifted colonial attitudes before 1776 (see the Topic 3.4 study guide: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice related questions at (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Natural rights = basic freedoms every person has simply because they’re human. Think life, liberty, and property (Locke)—Jefferson rephrased that as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration. Key ideas: governments are formed to protect those rights (social contract), and if a government doesn’t get consent of the governed or violates those rights, people can change it. That’s also where popular sovereignty and republicanism come from—power comes from the people, not a king or birthright. Why it matters for APUSH: natural-rights language shows up in Common Sense and the Declaration and is a common short-answer/DBQ/LEQ topic—so you should be able to explain the idea, name Locke/Jefferson, and connect it to consent of the governed or republicanism. Review Topic 3.4 on Fiveable’s study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Common Sense changed minds by making independence seem practical, urgent, and moral. Paine used plain language to translate Enlightenment ideas—natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty—into a direct attack on monarchy, not just Parliament. Instead of debating grievances, he argued that hereditary rule was illegitimate and that a republic based on consent of the governed was both natural and achievable. Because it sold widely and was easy to read, Common Sense reached ordinary colonists, radicalized moderates, and helped shift public opinion toward breaking with Britain. Its arguments fed directly into the language and reasoning of the Declaration of Independence and the broader republican ideal in the CED (KC-3.2.I.B). For a focused review on these philosophical roots, see the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT). For broader unit review or extra practice, check Unit 3 (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3) and AP practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

The Declaration’s core philosophical ideas come straight from Enlightenment thinkers (especially John Locke) and colonial republicanism: 1) natural/unalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as rights people are born with; 2) social contract theory—government exists by the consent of the governed to protect those rights; 3) popular sovereignty and consent of the governed—political power comes from the people, not a king; 4) right to alter or abolish governments that violate rights—justification for revolution; and 5) republicanism/civic virtue—distrust of hereditary privilege and support for government based on merit and representation. These concepts appear on AP prompts (short answers, DBQ/LEQ): use them for contextualization and to build thesis/arguments. For a focused review, see the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Many colonists thought religion justified their claim to liberty because Protestant ideas gave them a special moral vocabulary for freedom. The Great Awakening and widespread Protestantism emphasized an individual’s direct relationship with God and the equality of souls before Him, which undercut ideas of hereditary privilege and boosted claims for political equality. Leaders also used a “chosen people” language (God’s blessing on their cause) to argue resistance to rulers who violated conscience or natural rights. That religious rhetoric mixed with Enlightenment concepts (John Locke’s natural rights, social contract) to turn spiritual liberty into political liberty—seen in pamphlets and the Declaration. For AP practice, you can connect this to KC-3.2.I.A and use it as document/argument evidence on DBQs or LEQs (see the Topic 3.4 study guide on Fiveable: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT). More practice questions are at https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history.

Start with a clear thesis that answers how and why colonial attitudes about government changed (use Locke, natural rights, social contract, republicanism, Great Awakening influence). Contextualize briefly—Enlightenment ideas + imperial policies/taxes after 1754. In the body, group documents into 2–3 analytic categories (intellectual causes: Locke/Montesquieu; political triggers: Declaratory Act, taxation; religious/civic: Great Awakening, civic virtue). Use at least four documents to support each point and bring in one specific outside fact (e.g., Common Sense, Declaration of Independence, or Stamp Act protests). For two documents, analyze POV/purpose/audience (why an author emphasizes natural rights or popular sovereignty). End by synthesizing complexity (continuity vs. change—colonists still valued order but shifted toward popular sovereignty). Follow DBQ rules: thesis, contextualization, use ≥4 docs, POV for ≥2 docs, one outside evidence, and aim for complex understanding. See the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Colonists shifted from loyalty to a king toward preferring republican government mainly because of ideas + experience. Enlightenment thinkers (especially John Locke’s natural rights and social contract, plus Montesquieu’s separation of powers) made people see authority as legitimate only with the consent of the governed. The Great Awakening also stressed individual conscience and equality before God, which fed political claims about liberty. Practical events—taxation without representation, the Declaratory Acts, and heavy-handed enforcement after the Seven Years’ War—made royal power feel abusive. Pamphlets like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence translated those philosophical ideas into a clear argument for popular sovereignty, civic virtue, and rejection of hereditary monarchy. These shifts are exactly what AP Topic 3.4 covers (see the Fiveable study guide for this topic: https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT). For practice applying these concepts on AP-style questions, try the practice set (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Philosophy gave colonists the language and logic to say rebellion wasn’t lawlessness but a rightful correction of bad government. Enlightenment thinkers (especially John Locke) argued people have natural rights (life, liberty, property) and form governments via a social contract—if rulers violate consent of the governed, people can replace them. Montesquieu’s separation of powers and republican ideas about civic virtue made colonists prefer representative government over hereditary privilege. Pamphlets like Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence (Jefferson drawing on Locke) translated theory into a clear public case for independence, while the Great Awakening’s emphasis on individual worth made those ideas emotionally persuasive. On the AP exam, you should name these thinkers/terms, connect them to sources (e.g., Common Sense, Declaration), and explain causation (ideas → colonial political change → revolution). Review the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Colonists increasingly embraced Enlightenment ideas (John Locke, social contract, natural rights) and republicanism: government exists to protect life, liberty, property; legitimacy comes from consent of the governed and popular sovereignty. Thinkers like Paine (Common Sense) and Jefferson (Declaration) pushed for separation of powers and civic virtue. By contrast, British political thought stressed parliamentary sovereignty, a mixed constitution (monarchy + Lords + Commons), and traditional “rights of Englishmen” protected by institutions rather than direct popular consent. Colonists moved from seeing rights as privileges within imperial structures to seeing them as inherent and requiring representative, accountable government. For the AP exam, be ready to connect these ideas to documents (Declaration, Common Sense), explain continuity/change (CED KC-3.2.I.A/B), and use them for contextualization or evidence in SAQs/DBQs/LEQs. Review Topic 3.4 on Fiveable for a focused study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Enlightenment thinking reshaped long-term American political beliefs by putting natural rights, social contract theory, and reason at the center of politics. John Locke’s ideas (natural rights, consent of the governed) and Montesquieu’s separation of powers drove republicanism, popular sovereignty, and distrust of hereditary privilege—ideas you see in Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence. Over time those ideas made Americans expect government to protect individual liberty, justify revolution, and legitimize representative institutions; they also shaped debates over federalism, checks and balances, and civic virtue. Importantly, Enlightenment ideals produced tensions: they inspired movements for expanded rights (suffrage, abolition, later reform) but were often limited in practice (property, gender, and racial restrictions). For AP essays expect to use these concepts for contextualization and argumentation in DBQs/LEQs—tie Locke/Montesquieu to primary texts and later policies. Review Topic 3.4 on Fiveable (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT), the unit overview (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3), and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Common Sense blew up because Paine wrote like a person talking to neighbors, not a lawyer or philosopher. He used short, plain sentences, everyday examples, and repeated ideas people already felt—taxes, lack of representation, and unfair royal power—so even semi-literate readers could hear it read aloud at taverns, churches, and town meetings. The pamphlet packaged Enlightenment ideas (natural rights, social contract, John Locke’s arguments about consent of the governed) into clear calls for republicanism and independence, so listeners could grasp why breaking with Britain made sense. That combination—simple style, persuasive use of CED-level concepts (natural rights, popular sovereignty), and wide oral circulation—made it shape public opinion and prepare colonists for the Declaration. For review, see the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and try practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).

Natural rights—life, liberty, and property (adapted by Jefferson to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”)—came from John Locke and social-contract theory. Colonists argued that governments exist to protect those rights; if a ruler (Parliament or the king) violated them, people had the right to withdraw consent of the governed and replace that government. That idea appears in Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence: listing grievances wasn’t just complaints, it was evidence that Britain broke the social contract, so rebellion was justified. For the AP exam, link Locke, natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty, and consent of the governed when explaining why colonists moved from protest to independence (CED KC-3.2.I.A/B). Want a quick refresher? See the Topic 3.4 study guide (https://library.fiveable.me/ap-us-history/unit-3/philosophical-foundations-american-revolution/study-guide/1tqf5yAhHDgdepsUL6GT) and practice questions (https://library.fiveable.me/practice/ap-us-history).