Final answer:
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in Europe during the 18th century that emphasized reason as the primary source of authority and advocated for ideals such as liberty, progress, tolerance, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. Events that helped lead to the Enlightenment included the Scientific Revolution, the Great Awakening, and the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Enlightenment was a philosophical movement in Europe during the 18th century that emphasized reason as the primary source of authority and advocated for ideals such as liberty, progress, tolerance, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. Several events helped lead to the Enlightenment, including:
The Scientific Revolution, which challenged traditional ways of thinking and emphasized empirical observation and reason.
The Great Awakening, a spiritual revival in Britain and the colonies that focused on an individual's personal relationship with God and led to the spread of new evangelical Protestant denominations.
The ideas of Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke, who proposed concepts like natural rights and the need to change the government if it no longer served the people, which influenced the American Revolution and the shaping of the United States.