Final answer:
The Enlightenment thinkers such as Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu influenced American government by advocating for the protection of natural rights, accountability to the people, and separation of powers, which led to principles like checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Enlightenment Thinkers and their Influence on American Government
Enlightenment thinkers believed that government should protect the natural rights of citizens and be accountable to the people. These ideas, advocated by philosophers such as John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu, influenced the structure and principles of the American government. Locke's theory of natural rights—life, liberty, and property—and his belief that citizens have the right to change a government that fails to protect these rights, significantly shaped the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Rousseau's concept of the 'general will' as the driving force in government influenced the creation of a government by the people and for the people. Additionally, Montesquieu's recommendation of separating powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches to prevent tyranny guided the framing of the U.S. Constitution and the establishment of checks and balances.
The Enlightenment in America was not just a transfer of European ideas; American Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, took these ideals and applied them to their unique context in the struggle for independence from British rule. They posited that a government has a duty to its citizens, and when this duty is neglected, as argued by Paine in 'Common Sense', revolution is justified. Thus, the Enlightenment's focus on human rights, liberty, and rational governance became the bedrock upon which American revolutionary values and institutions were built.