The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening caused the colonists to change their views on government, the role of government, as well as society as a whole, which ultimately and collectively helped motivate the colonists to revolt against England. The Enlightenment played a vital role in almost every aspect of America's founding, which included everything from government to politics itself to religion. Many ideas from the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening shaped our country as a whole during its pivotal years, inspiring everything from the American Revolution to the Constitution to electricity and stoves. Without the central ideas and figures of the Great Awakening and the Age of Enlightenment, the United States would not be the nation Americans are accustomed to living in today. The Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason) is described by scholars as a method of thinking and knowing ("epistemology") based on the idea that the natural world is in fact better understood through careful observation, as well as dependence on reason. It is important to emphasize that the Age of Enlightenment added a more secular environment to colonial life, which had always been based on religion. Enlightenment ideas actually originated in 18th-century Europe, allowing for the birth of colonial "deists" who often looked for God's plan in nature more than in the Bible, as they did in the past. Many deists began to look to science and reason to divulge God's laws and purpose. This period of Enlightenment encouraged people to study the world around them, to think for themselves rather than what others had to say, and to question whether the chaotic appearances of things masked a sense of order. The...... middle of paper ......Sugar and Stamp Acts). Before the Age of Enlightenment, colonists were angered by British interference in their new country, but never thought of rebelling against their homeland. However, with their new knowledge of Enlightenment principles like liberty and reason, many colonists began to view these taxes as unjust. Knowing that political power was in their hands, they stood against the British government by declaring that they were an independent country. Additionally, as the British government continued to try to interfere with the American government, many colonists began to want a new government based on Enlightenment principles. This led to the American Revolution because the colonists, with their acquired knowledge of the world and society, yearned for a government that guaranteed everyone their natural rights under the law..