2 Sep 2022

60

Historical Figures of The American Enlightenment

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Academic level: High School

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Thomas Jefferson, by the time of his death, was considered the most enlightened man of the enlightenment period. He did a lot for Virginia, having been a lawyer, palacontologist, founder of University of Virginia, and most famously a drafter of the declaration of independence. He was also once a governor of Virginia, a Vice-President and President of the United States. He had both personal and ideological differences with Alexander Hamilton, leading to the formation of the Republicans and the Federalists. Jefferson put in a lot of effort to make Virginia constitution be in line with Republican policies. He was a believer in limited government. 

Crevecoeur is famous for his essays, Letters from an American Farmer. He was born in France, visited England, immigrated to Canada, and later settled in New York before eventually moving back to France. He was a wanderer of sorts. After the war, he, as a Republican, met Jefferson when he attended his daughter’s wedding. He was also the acting French Consul in New York. He may have had a good relationship with Jefferson because of his love for agriculture as well as conformity to the Republican law. Little can be said about this though. He settled back in France where he later died. 

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The Federalists papers were written by three Americans; James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was a Federalist, and soon became foes with Jefferson after the war of independence because of his opposition. He was a believer in a strong central government. He became known after the American Revolution, having played a critical role in the struggle for independence. He was the brains behind the essays. He served as the first secretary of American treasury. He later faced opposition from the entire American people, Jefferson included, because his policies seemed to conform to the British rule rather than supporting the new independent America. He was later killed by Aaron Burr. 

Jay was a delegate to the continental Congress as a New York Representative. He was born into a royal family and seemed to get many favors throughout his life. Surprisingly, Jay was initially against American independence. This was because he feared that a mob rule would rise after that. He, however, led the treaty with Great Britain and later became the first Chief Justice of the United States. James Madison was also a strong Federalist. He strongly believed in a Central government` for the new United States. He was the mastermind behind the proposed new constitution for the State of Virginia. His contributions towards The Federalist Papers was mainly a drive to sell the Virginian constitution to the state. However, towards the final years of his political life, he slowly drifted to the opposition side, the Republican. He joined hands with his lifelong friend Jefferson to oppose Hamilton. He later succeeded Jefferson as president, serving two terms while at it. 

Thomas Paine was born in Norfolk and later immigrated to America. He had with him an introduction letter from Benjamin Franklin that he hoped would work for him. He is famously known for his pamphlet, Common Sense . This put him in the limelight because it encouraged Americans to immediately declare independence. He therefore, became a crucial part of the American Revolution. He even refused to be paid for his work. He presented himself as a man whose only interest was to see America free of British rule. This gained him a lot of favor with the American people. 

The American Revolution is a period post war that led to the independence of America, later forming the United States of America. Paine, Jay, Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Crevecoeur all played a crucial role during this period. From their writings to their specific duties in the fight for independence to the role in the new government, they all had a part to play in the new United States of America. 

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StudyBounty. (2023, September 16). Historical Figures of The American Enlightenment.
https://studybounty.com/historical-figures-of-the-american-enlightenment-essay

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