The Era of the Enlightenment influenced nearly every aspect of modern American society. In America, Enlightenment ideas expressed by writers and leaders such as Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson still shape modern political arrangements, social organization, and economic structures. The United States became a nation during the height of the Enlightenment, and it is manifestly an expression of Enlightenment ideas concerning government, society and economy. From the Declaration of Independence, drafted in 1776 by Thomas Jefferson, some of the ideals of the Enlightenment are expressed in the phrase "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Part 1

-Discuss the ways in which Enlightenment ideas shaped the political, economic, or social institutions of the United States.

-Also, identify the Enlightenment individuals who contributed to the 1 specific way in which the US was shaped.

Part 2

-Are these ideas still relevant to modern American society?