The American Revolution was motivated by the Enlightened idea that

• A. That all men are created equal
• B. Of a distinct class system
• C. Of the rightful rule of a monarch
• D. That government needs central authority

Answer: (C)

Enlightenment ideas about natural rights and government by consent underpin the American Revolution. Think of philosophers like Locke arguing that people have inherent rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments gain legitimate authority only to protect those rights and with the consent of the governed. The statement that “all men are created equal” embodies this belief in equal moral status and equal rights before the law, which inspired colonists to challenge rule by a distant monarch and to demand representative government and limited authority.

The other options lean away from that Enlightenment trajectory: endorsing a fixed class system preserves inequality; supporting the rightful rule of a monarch justifies absolute authority; and calling for centralized government authority suggests power concentrated rather than constrained. In this light, the idea of equal rights and government by consent best explains the motive behind the Revolution.