How did the enlightenment ideas influence the colonial leaders?

Enlightenment ideas influenced colonial leaders by promoting beliefs in individual rights, reason, and self-governance. Leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were inspired by concepts like natural rights and social contract theory, which influenced their advocacy for independence and democratic ideals. The Enlightenment also challenged traditional authority and promoted the idea of a government that derived its power from the consent of the governed, shaping the vision for a new form of government in the American colonies.