Isabel Beltran

Mr. Wisner

W. History

February 24. 2017

Who Made America

If you look around you, you have the privilege to see ideas come together. You have the

privilege to make your own choices. This was so much different ages ago. Not everyone had the

privilege we have in this world today. Back in the 17th and 18th century John Locke, Voltaire,

Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft all believed there must be natural laws or rules that

explain how people behave. In order to have a successful society people needed individual

freedom in government, religion, the economy, and the social role of women.

We must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect

freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit,

within the bounds of the law of nature. -John Locke. Locke was a person who believed that

human equality and individual freedom would not only society better, but it would improve the

government as well. He believed men were born free so nothing had the right to get in the way of

making them otherwise.

Voltaire was a very dedicated writer. He believed in the freedom of religion, and

supported tolerance. He wanted everyone to be okay with the different types of beliefs people

had. He expressed himself through his writing even when sometimes he would have to deal with

consequences. His writing denigrated everything from organized religion to the justice system.

Most of his famous work was suppressed and sometimes, the police ordered certain books he
wrote to be burned. This lead to Voltaire writing several more pieces but separating all the

writing with different names. He feared the authority would arrest him which forced him to move

to the French countryside and then lived his life. Voltaire wanted peace, he wanted people to

tolerate everyone's likes and beliefs.

Every man is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest in his own way. -Adam

Smith. Smith was a man who believed in natural liberty. He was the one who came up with the

idea of freedom in economy. He believed people should be able to maintain their sale without

government interference. He knew the government had no right to tell a salesperson how much

product to make. Smith believed that that free market economies are the most productive and

beneficial to society. Every man is left to pursue his own interest because the government has no

power. Individuals work to make themselves better, leading them to promote public interest

without actually doing it.

Women must be allowed to found their virtue on knowledge, which is scarcely possible

unless they be educated by the same pursuits as men. -Mary Wollstonecraft. Back in the 18th

century women were nothing. They had no rights, no equality, no one to speak for them. Women

were supposed to be beautiful, emotional, and dependent on men. Mary Wollstonecraft came

along and demanded education, demanded equality, demanded rights. She didn't want women to

be looked down on for wanting to be something more.

Individual freedom was something everyone wanted, not everyone spoke up though. The

Enlightenment Movement was where ideas from many philosophers and writers helped improve

and increase the importance of one sole individual in society and government. Locke, Voltaire,

Smith, and Wollstonecraft all contributed in bettering society.Others started seeing the impact
that one person was making and were influenced by it. They were influenced and motivated to

do better, to want more, to think equal. Through this movement, society changed once and for all

because in order to have a successful society people need individual freedom. To this day, these

people impact others to take a stand for their beliefs, to speak up and change the world.