Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
Aligned to C3.D2.His.3 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
The Scientific Revolution of the 1500s-1600s replaced tradition with observation and experiment as the path to knowledge. Building on it, the 1700s Enlightenment applied reason to society, arguing for natural rights, tolerance, and government by consent of the governed.
Worked example
In his 1690 writings, the English philosopher John Locke argued that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property, ideas that later shaped the American Declaration of Independence.
Practice questions
- Name one Enlightenment thinker and one idea they championed.
- Explain how the scientific method differed from relying on ancient authority.
- Analyze how Enlightenment ideas about natural rights could threaten absolute monarchs.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Revolución Científica e Ilustración
La Revolución Científica de los siglos XVI y XVII sustituyó la tradición por la observación y el experimento como camino hacia el conocimiento. A partir de ella, la Ilustración del siglo XVIII aplicó la razón a la sociedad y defendió los derechos naturales, la tolerancia y el gobierno con el consentimiento de los gobernados.
Ejemplo: En sus escritos de 1690, el filósofo inglés John Locke sostuvo que las personas tienen derechos naturales a la vida, la libertad y la propiedad, ideas que después influyeron en la Declaración de Independencia de Estados Unidos.
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