By the middle of the 1700s, the colonists that were educated were influenced by The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment, which began in Europe, spread ideas that knowledge, reasons, and science could be improved. Science soon took an interest in the colonies. People would observe nature, staged experiments, and they published their findings. The Enlightenment as well promoted freedom of thought and expression, belief in equality, and and the idea of popular government.
Ideas of freedom, like Freedom of the press, became an important issue in colonial America. New ideas of freedom was also being formed. They began to think in terms of Civiv Virtue- democratic ideas, practices, and values that from a truly free society.
