The Age of Enlightenment

Timeline of Enlightenment Events

•        1690- John Locke publishes Two Treatises on Government  in which he argued that the key to all of political theories is property and the right to individual ownership of goods

•       1697- Mary Astell wrote Serious Proposal to the Ladies in which she suggested that women should make an effort to become educated.

•       1721- Montesquieu wrote and published his first work Persian Letters in which he used the idea of sending letters back home that criticize French institutions.

•       1748- Montesquieu publishes his most famous book The Spirit of the Laws in which he distinguished the three basic kinds of governments

•       1762- Jean-Jacques Rousseau publishes his major writing, The Social Contract in which he tried to “Harmonize individual liberty with governmental authority.”

•       1762- Rousseau published his major work on education, Emile.

•       1763- Voltaire wrote Treatise on Toleration in which he argued that religious toleration should be part of everyday life and that “all men are brothers under God.”

•       1764- Cesare Beccaria published On Crimes and Punishments that opposed capital punishment.

•       1765- Denis Diderot published The Encyclopedia, which was considered the Bible of the Enlightenment period. This was considered one of the most important works of all of the Enlightenment period.

•       1776- Adam Smith, a Scottish philosopher, published his famous work The Wealth of Nations in which he stated that the state should not interfere in economic affairs. This was a prime example of laissez-faire.

•       1789- The French Revolution Begins.

•       1791- Olympe de Gouges published her response to the unfair treatment of women, Declaration of the Rights of Woman.

•       1794- Thomas Paine first introduced his ideology of “Deism” in his book The Age of Reason.

Check out these fun enlightenment activity pages!!!

Activity 1

Activity 2

WORKS CITED