The American Revolution and Enlightenment Thought
Voltaire celebrated the Peace of Westphalia as a move towards secularism and the separation of church and state, which he himself advocated (Elliott)—and which the U.S. would adopt as a political doctrine in the establishment of its Constitution—particularly in the First Amendment, which reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Thus, there was a direct connection between Voltaire’s promotion of religions liberty (the separation of church and state in Europe) and the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. As Cobbs shows, Jefferson was all for the protection of religious liberty—which he demonstrated in… Continue Reading...
