Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Biography
Origins of American Government
Baron de Montesquieu
1689–1755
political theorist Baron de Montesquieu’s
ideas about separation of powers influenced
the Framers of the U.S. Constitution.
As you read the biography below, think about how
Montesquieu influenced the Framers of the Constitution.
The Baron de Montesquieu was a French philosopher
and political theorist. In The Spirit of the Laws (1748),
he outlined his theory of the ideal government: a
republican government in which power was divided among branches of
government in order to keep any individual or group from abusing power.
This concept of separation of powers later had a great influence on the
Framers of the U.S. Constitution.
Montesquieu’s full name was Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La
Brede et de Montesquieu. A member of a French military family,
Montesquieu was well educated and studied the law. When his father and,
later, his uncle died, leaving him their estates, he became a wealthy man.
With no worries about money, Montesquieu decided at age 27 to turn his
attention to writing. In 1721 he published Lettres persanes (Persian
Letters), a satirical look at French culture in which he mocked French
social classes and the monarchy. The work proved an enormous success
and made Montesquieu famous.
In the following years Montesquieu traveled widely throughout Europe.
In Great Britain, he observed the British political system. After returning to
France he studied law, history, and economics in preparation for writing a
major work on law and politics. In 1748 he published The Spirit of the
Laws, a 1000-page work of political theory.
The Spirit of the Laws was a masterpiece of political theory. In it,
Montesquieu classified governments into three types: republican,
monarchical, and despotic. Montesquieu based these classifications on
what he called a “principle,” or the motivation for citizens to support that
government. Republican governments were based on the principle of
virtue, or the willingness of citizens to put community before private
interests; monarchical governments were based on the principle of honor,
or the desire to gain greater rank and privilege; and despotic governments
were based on the principle of fear of the ruler.
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Chapter 2
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Origins of American Government
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WHY HE MADE HISTORY French
Name ____________________________ Class _________________ Date ___________________
Biography
Baron de Montesquieu continued
In Spirit, Montesquieu developed his concept of an ideal government,
which he based largely on the British system of government. Montesquieu
believed that the main object of government should be to promote liberty.
He argued that the best way to ensure liberty was to separate the three
types of power possessed by government: legislative power, or making
laws; executive power, or carrying out laws; and judicial power, or
interpreting laws. Montesquieu believed that if a branch of government
held too much power it would soon become corrupted by power and would
destroy liberty. Separating government power among branches, however,
would help preserve individual liberty. Montesquieu also discussed laws
that would help protect liberty, including laws guaranteeing the right to a
fair trial, the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty, and the
right to freedom of opinion and association.
Spirit was highly praised throughout much of Europe and was
enormously influential in Britain’s American colonies, where colonial
leaders saw Montesquieu as an eloquent defender of political liberty.
Thomas Jefferson called Spirit “perfect as far as it goes,” and James
Madison praised the concept of separation of powers as “invaluable.”
Montesquieu’s ideas about separation of powers had a great deal of
influence on the framing of the U.S. Constitution and the structure of the
U.S. government.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
1. Describe How did Montesquieu’s ideas influence the government of the United
States?
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2. Summarize What are Montesquieu’s theories about government in The Spirit of
Laws?
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ACTIVITY
Montesquieu classified government into three types—republican,
monarchical, and despotic—based on citizens’ reasons for supporting that
government. How else might governments be classified? In a small group,
discuss other ways to describe different types of governments and agree on
the best way to classify and organize types of government. The group
should be prepared to summarize its discussion and conclusion for the rest
of the class.
Original content Copyright © by Holt McDougal. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor.
Chapter 2
7
Origins of American Government