Scholars may differ from the date of the enlightenment movement began but they concur that the movement began in Europe. The movement changed the dynamics of thinking in the masses through scientific discovery that changed the reasoning of the people, for instance, the unified Christianity believes that monarchs had used to rule and control people by claiming that God anointed kings. The enlightenment was an era that defied these social norms and wanted to ensure that people should be responsible of electing the government they thought would have their best interests rather than kings who controlled and enriched themselves at the expense of the people. The movement writings, discoveries, and depth of the analysis of the existing nature, science, innovations, and philosophy would destabilize politics and social aspects in Europe and America. However, how did this movement influence African-Americans?
The American Revolution and the French integration with some of the founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson were instrumental in America gaining its independence. Thomas Jefferson, an admirer of John Locke ideologies of the natural rights, hence the efforts to include these natural rights in the Declaration of Independence. Locke natural rights claimed that every individual is entitled to life, liberty, and property. The three rights helped in the formulation of the constitution to ensure that just as Locke had argued, the government role was to protect the natural rights. 1 Therefore, Jefferson referenced Locke’s ideas in his argument that the colonists or Americans rebelling during the American Revolution was because the imperialists had violated their natural rights. He would use the same arguments during the formulation of the Constitution and introduce the Bill of Rights. 2 The Bill of Rights demonstrated that the Constitution that guided the government to protect the citizens. During the declaration of independence, the founders were afraid that illegalizing and calling for freeing all slaves would result in the division of the country.
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Washington and Thomas Jefferson among other leaders were beneficiaries of the slave labor but the Southern Leaders would have been too much for the new country. However, the leaders understood that the slavery did not hold a place in the New World. The freeing of slaves in the north and Thomas Jefferson defying the Southern leaders and freeing his slaves were some of the depictions of equality. 3 The declaration of independence claimed that the citizens were equal and should gain their natural rights but the implementation was slow to kick in until after the American Civil War. The American Civil War was the pinnacle of blacks with the support of the enlightenment of whites in the north against the traditionalists in the south. The freemen in the north and the escape of the southern slaves had resulted in integration and enlightenment of the slaves and the need for their freedom or liberty. Douglass Du Bois among other learned blacks would become the founders of abolitionists. 4 These blacks with the support from the north were aware that in the new world, slavery was not the best way for the whites and blacks to coexist, they understood that the blacks needed the whites and vice versa, however, encouraged by the economic and social skills gained from their experiences in the north, they had to rebel slavery.
Religion had been a powerful tool for both the Whites and Blacks. Whites knew that the doctrines of Christianity would ensure that the blacks did not result in violence or rebellion over their masters, whereas the blacks used religion as their hope for a better future and the mercy of their masters to offer them freedom. Christianity in the universal form was condoning slavery through the hierarchical system provided in the bible. However, the enlightenment movement had demonstrated that such beliefs and superstitions were vague. Therefore, introducing the critical evaluation of the Bible, which would result in the abolitionists to defy the bible hierarchical system and use religion as a platform to enhance equality and liberty for the blacks. 5 The Constitution allowed freedom of worship and changed the aspects of beliefs and by enhancing the diversity of religion, African-Americans would engage in revolutionary and critical thinking on the issues of slavery. The education projects in these churches and the integration with the international community would increase the efforts of the abolitionists to fight for the liberty of the slaves and end the tyranny of the masters.
Bibliography
Addis, Cameron. "7 Enlightenment & Great Awakening | History Hub." Sites.austincc.edu . Web. 16 July 2018.
Cumbler, John. "Christopher Cameron. To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans In Massachusetts And The Making Of The Antislavery Movement." The American Historical Review 120.3 (2015): 1008-1008. Web.
Fernée, Tadd Graham. "The American Civil War as a Social Revolution: The Enlightenment, Providential Consciousness and Changes in Moral Perception." English Studies at NBU 1.1 (2015): 80-96. Web. 16 July 2018.
1 Fernée, Tadd Graham. "The American Civil War as a Social Revolution: The Enlightenment, Providential Consciousness and Changes in Moral Perception." English Studies at NBU 1.1 (2015): 80-96. Web. 16 July 2018.
2 Fernée, Tadd Graham. "The American Civil War as a Social Revolution: The Enlightenment, Providential Consciousness and Changes in Moral Perception." English Studies at NBU 1.1 (2015): 80-96. Web. 16 July 2018.
3 Ibid.
4 Cumbler, John. "Christopher Cameron. To Plead Our Own Cause: African Americans In Massachusetts And The Making Of The Antislavery Movement." The American Historical Review 120.3 (2015): 1008-1008. Web.
5 Addis, Cameron. "7 Enlightenment & Great Awakening | History Hub." Sites.austincc.edu . Web. 16 July 2018.
