Final answer:
The actions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other leaders helped determine how the government would work.
Step-by-step explanation:
The actions of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other leaders of the United States were important because they helped determine how the government would work.
The founding fathers, influenced by Enlightenment thinkers such as Locke, Voltaire, and Rousseau, incorporated their principles into the new society. They established a government with a system of checks and balances, separating power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The United States Constitution, with its focus on the consent of the governed and protection of individual rights, provided the framework for how the government would operate.