It takes a revolution to redefine the sovereignty of man. The foundations on which the United States was built on radically switched the role of sovereignty in the 18th century. Instead of a single man or a single government being the sovereigns, it was the government that is meant to serve the sovereign people. This was somewhat of a radical idea during the time that the American colonies declared their independence. The government, or the king, was always seen as the father figure of the nation and his decisions would dictate what was best for the country. The king's unjust rule in the colonies had to be abolished and replaced with their own just government. The declaration spells out a vast number of injustices ranging from the elimination of representation, cutting off trade, limiting the further expansion of land, burning of their towns, and the killing of their people. .
The United States has been a mirror of democracy and republicanism for many nations since it declared its independence over 200 years ago. The list of despot crimes and the declaration that the colonies are free and independent from the King, eventually leads to the modern United States of today as well as the expansion of similar governments throughout the western world. Although the colonies" rebellion and unique abolition of the imposing government was quite revolutionary, the idea of a liberal democratic state of free people was forged years before the Declaration of Independence was even signed. Although not specific, it is clear that the Founding Fathers inspiration for rebellion and abolition came from John Locke. Locke's purpose is to refute arguments that a king possesses divine authority over his subjects and that the government is needed to control the inherent destructiveness of people. In Locke's Second Treatise of Government, he presents that property is essential to human liberty and how society is needed to protect that property.