An empowered generation consists of informed individuals who can overcome challenges taking place in their immediate environment. Based on the nature of problems affecting individuals in their surroundings, access to information is a non-negotiable aspect that positions people strategically to accomplish their objectives. Exploring the age of enlightenment and how the American Revolution was executed, one can easily understand the importance of information in the world today. Many revolutions that have taken place around the world were inspired by a need to exposes individuals to an enabling environment where they would thrive by overcoming the issues affecting their lifestyles.
The Age of Enlightenment
The age of enlightenment was characterized by an intellectual movement that built its ideas on philosophical theories with the hope of provoking the thought process of individuals regarding topical issues. While the process has only been captured between the 17th and the 19th centuries, its impact can still be felt today as the modern world borrows ideas from this historical period to solve problems (O’Flaherty, 2019). Some of the major proponents of this movement included Beccaria, Adam Smith, and Immanuel Kant, who led the world to identify approaches they could use to walk away from their intellectual slavery.
The American Revolution
The American Revolution was inspired by the need to revolt against Great Britain’s grip on American affairs by British Colonists, who felt underappreciated by their counterparts in the UK. However, conflicts initiated the revolution in the founding of colonies, intolerable acts that despised human existence, and a growing unity among the colonies (Smith, 2017). Many of the critical proponents during the American Revolution drew their inspiration from the enlightenment concepts, which included freedom of speech, religious tolerance, and equality.
The French Revolution
The people, during the French Revolution, overthrew the government and took control over crucial activities that defined the perspectives of individuals towards the achievement of their rights. Since its inception in 1789, the revolution lasted ten years, was Napoleon Bonaparte led the French nation to develop a government for the people and by the people (Pinkney, 2019). After two decades of low harvest, high bread prices, and cattle diseases, the people decided to revolt against a government that had failed to protect their interests. The wave of enlightenment influenced the French revolution through aspects such as equality and liberty, which provided the public with the freedom to make independent decisions.
Application of the Enlightenment Ideas Today
Due to the massive cultural integration that has taken place over the years, Americans are expected to embrace cultural diversity that promotes tolerance during their interactions with other people. The concepts of enlightenment play a significant role in defining the measures that people should take to resolve conflicts affecting individuals in their immediate environment (ล eลกiฤ & Jestrovic, 2017). Based on the need to overcome religious tension in the U.S. and beyond, religious freedom incorporates the values that people can embrace to discover their potential. However, many people criticize the enlightenment ideas by terming them as hopeless and optimistic.
Conclusion
Many revolutions that have taken place around the world were inspired by a need to exposes individuals to an enabling environment where they would thrive by overcoming the issues affecting their lifestyles. Solving problems in the U.S. requires policy leaders to consider the different views held by individuals because of the population distribution that continues to evolve over the years. While some of the aspects of enlightenment can be embraced today, individuals can consider the events that took place to trigger the views held by historical communities to improve outcomes in their surroundings.
