In this lesson from Unit 2: Colonial America, students examine the Enlightenment and the major thinkers whose ideas helped shape the foundations of the United States government and political system. Students explore how Enlightenment philosophers challenged traditional ideas about monarchy, government authority, religion, and individual rights during the 1600s and 1700s.

The lesson begins with the concept of unalienable rights, or natural rights that people possess at birth rather than rights granted by government. Students analyze how these ideas later influenced the Declaration of Independence, including the famous phrase “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Students then study the broader Enlightenment movement and learn how thinkers across Europe encouraged the use of reason, logic, education, and critical thinking to qu ...