How Did Edwards Contribute To The Enlightenment

The Age of Reason, also known as the Enlightenment, is a time period between the late 1600s and the early 1800s. This era is often known today as being a focal point of common sense and personal reasoning. The strict religious beliefs, detailed scientific research, and the heavy political and economic involvement of this age gave the pioneers of America a much needed boost in the direction of proper settlement and creation of a functional country. During The Enlightenment era, religion played a crucial role in society. Johnathon Edwards, a puritan preacher and missionary, put forth an effort to change the ways of the congregation during this time. He feels they had diverted from the original ways of the Puritans and needed to return to the original ways in order to avoid the rage of “the God that holds you over the pit of hell” (Edwards 215). Edward speaks frequently of the fury of God to the citizens during this time period, painting him in an image of anger. He states “their foot shall slide in due time” during his sermon entitled Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (Edwards 209). By this, Edwards is
Thomas Jefferson, a prime example of an original American politician, put many motions into action in regard to the creation of this new land. One of Jefferson’s greatest accomplishments is the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. This single document made way for the American Revolution to set sail and succeed. Within this piece of writing, Jefferson declared that “all men are created equal” (Jefferson 762). Though this statement, Jefferson put the image of equality and freedom in sight. He also writes of the American people as “a people who mean to be free” (Jefferson 343). These statements laid the foundation of the ideas behind the creation of this document and the reasoning behind its