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America’s Defining Characteristic: The Spirit of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment era of the 18th century was one of the most dynamic in history and brought forth breathtaking advances in science, industry, and the humanities that helped create the conditions leading to the birth of the first constitutional republic, the United States of America. This podcast discusses the defining characteristics of the age that led to the founding of America and its rapid advancement economically: respect for our rational faculty, coupled with the protection of rights within the framework of the free enterprise system all combined to catapult America from an agrarian economy to an industrial powerhouse in less than 100 years. But some feared the dynamic nature of the age and sought to undermine it. Find out how that undermining occurred and what can be done to restore the Enlightenment spirit of optimism by listening to this podcast.