The two documents that define Enlightenment thinking, a completely new way of thinking, are the Declaration of Independence and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. These two documents were written fifteen years apart, but spoke of the divine right of individuals, and these rights took precedence over government systems. This was a completely different concept than that that of the pre-Enlightenment era.
             The previous eras gave power and control to the minority, the wealthy and those of royal blood. The age of Enlightenment started an avalanche of questions and rethinking of the commonly held beliefs. As it gained a hold on the people, they began to see themselves as having rights, not just the elite. This philosophy stated that all individuals have God given rights, and the purpose of governments was to protect those rights. This was a complete shift in thinking.
             No longer were the kings and monarchs the all wise and set above the individual, but rights of each individual held equal importance. The Declaration of Independence stated these rights, and influenced other countries coming out of revolutions. This was the first time in history a country based its government and constitution on the freedom and rights of the citizen.
             In France, fifteen years later, Marquise de Lafayette wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, after society and been thrown into anarchy, the French representatives of the National Assembly had to decide what direction the government would take. This document officially declared the 'new order' of France, based on what had happened in America. Marquise de Lafayette, a veteran of the American Revolution wrote their document, he was so deeply influenced that he emphasized those liberties to bring France out of anarchy. He based the document on the 'natural law', as taught during the Enlightenment. They proclaimed that God gave all men ce...