Episode 127: Caroline Winterer, American Enlightenments

by Liz CovartMarch 28, 2017

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In many ways, the Enlightenment gave birth to the United States. Enlightened ideas informed protests over imperial governance and taxation and over whether there should be an American bishop.

If we want to understand early America, we need to understand the Enlightenment.

Caroline Winterer, a Professor of History at Stanford University and author of American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason, takes us through her ideas about the Enlightenment and how it influenced early America.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

Caroline Winterer, a Professor of History at Stanford University and author of American Enlightenments: Pursuing Happiness in the Age of Reason, takes us through her ideas about the Enlightenment and how it influenced early America.

During our conversation, Caroline reveals what the Enlightenment was and when it took place; The Republic of Letters and Americans’ participation in it; And, details about the different enlightened fields of study that Americans helped develop and participated in.

What You’ll Discover

The enlightenment, what it was and when it took place
How definitions for the enlightenment became complex
The Republic of Letters and Americans’ participation in it
How the Republic of Letters worked
Who Americans traded ideas with
The birth of geology and why it attracted the interest of 18th-century men and women
The enlightenment and 18th-century religion
The enlightenment and Native Americans
18th-century archives
Native American demographics
Slavery and the enlightenment
The enlightenment and monarchy
The enlightenment and the American Revolution

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if the United States had not achieved its independence from Great Britain? How would the lack of an independent United States have changed the Enlightenment and its American counterparts? 