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The foundations of American government lie squarely in the 17th and 18th century European Enlightenment. The American founders were well versed in the writings of the philosophes, whose ideas influenced the shaping of the new country.
U.S. Government and Politics. The U.S. government is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States. Learn about the three branches...
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This destination will familiarize you with the various philosophers, philosophical concepts, systems of government, political agitators, and statesmen (including the Founding Fathers) that influenced the formation and fundamental documents of the government of the United States.
- George Washington. Before he fought against the British, George Washington fought for the British, serving as a commander in the French and Indian War. A prosperous Virginia farmer who owned hundreds of slaves, he came to resent the various taxes and restrictions being imposed on the colonies by the British crown.
- Alexander Hamilton. A poor, illegitimate orphan, Alexander Hamilton emigrated as a teenager from the British West Indies to New York. Rising to prominence as an aide-de-camp to Washington during the Revolutionary War, he became an impassioned supporter of a strong central government.
- Benjamin Franklin. Early America’s foremost Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin was a skilled author, printer, scientist, inventor and diplomat despite a formal education that ended at age 10.
- John Adams. A distinguished Massachusetts lawyer, John Adams became a relatively early proponent of the revolutionary cause. Just like Franklin, he served on the committee that wrote the Declaration of Independence, journeyed overseas to secure French military aid and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris.
The Founders argued that the government’s central purpose should be to protect and uphold these rights. John Locke, an. Enlightenment. philosopher, described natural rights as the rights to one’s own “life, liberty, and property.”
The founding fathers created a framework for governance with a careful balance of powers between three branches and a method to amend itself to adapt to changes in society. It allowed for the autonomy of individual states while providing a central authority in the form of a federal government.
