The abolition of slavery in places like Haiti was based on Enlightenment ideas of

• A. Liberty as a natural rights of man
• B. Separation of government powers
• C. Personal rights as less important than civil order
• D. The authority of absolute monarchs

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that abolition was grounded in the Enlightenment belief in natural rights and liberty. Enlightenment thinkers argued that people have inherent rights—life, liberty, and equality—that governments exist to protect. Slavery denies these basic freedoms and human dignity, so abolition follows from the view that freedom is a natural condition of all people. In Haiti, enslaved people framed their fight as a struggle for liberty and equality, a practical application of these universal rights, which consistent with revolutionary rhetoric about liberty. The other options don’t fit this line of thinking: separating government powers is about organizing politics, not justifying moral ends like abolition; prioritizing civil order over individual rights contradicts Enlightenment emphasis on inherent rights; and the authority of absolute monarchs stands in opposition to the Enlightenment challenge to tyranny.