Teaching World History: Enlightenment and American Revolution Lesson Plans

Photo: Galileo Galilei, an Enlightenment astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher.

This post is part of a Shaped blog series providing teachers for Grades 6–12 with downloadable world history classroom resources and discussion topics. Note that the following lesson plan includes a potential text you can use, but always check with your school or district for recommended resources.

The Enlightenment and the American Revolution

The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement during the 17th and 18th centuries that emphasized the powerful influence of human reason, science, and rational change. The philosophies that arose from this era even played a role in the start of the American Revolution and, subsequently, the 13 colonies' independence from Great Britain.

Defined by scientific, political, and religious innovations, the Enlightenment led to significant discoveries by well-known historical figures. Among them were Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus with their groundbreaking scientific findings, and John Locke and Thomas Hobbes with their unique ideas about government that led to long-lasting change.

To help students put this in context, have them look at the timeline below (with a supplemental enrichment activity available for download as a PDF). Then, distribute the accompanying resources as part of your Enlightenment and American Revolution lesson plan: a passage from Two Treatises of Government by John Locke (primary source enrichment activity) and a related writing enrichment activity about how Enlightenment ideas made their way into American documents.

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Learn more about HMH Social Studies, which presents the rich, endlessly inventive story of our world, challenging students to dig deep into the past.

Read more blogs about teaching world history on topics including:

• The Early Middle Ages
• Ancient Greece
• Hammurabi's Code of Laws
• The Renaissance
• The Reformation
• Absolute Monarchs

This blog, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2025.