The idea of freedom and liberty has been a paramount concern throughout history. Consider the classical ideas of religious freedom, the.
right to resist and the inherent right of every individual to be independent. .
These were some of the main focuses of classical liberalism in early America.
On religious freedom, seventeenth century minister Roger Williams wrote: "All Civil States with their Officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially Civil, and therefore not judges, governors or defenders of the spiritual or Christian state and worship." (Volkomer, 50) .
This quote is notable because it illustrates the early liberal ideas of religious freedom by stating that government officials have no right to pass judgment on religious practices. In furtherance of his views, Williams founded a colony at Plymouth and contributed to the development of religious tolerance in the new world. Religious tolerance meant that a nation with multiple religions need no longer mean a country with internal strife and civil insurrection due to intolerance (Volkomer, 1969). The notion of religious open-mindedness helped pave the way for individual independence by suggesting that people were able to determine their own fundamental beliefs. .
The right of individuals to be independent is the cornerstone of.
liberalism. This combined with the right to resist encroachments on this independence make up the legitimacy behind the revolution. The Declaration of Independence embodied these thoughts precisely and clearly. When Thomas Jefferson wrote about the "inalienable rights. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" he was speaking of the inherent rights of man and went further to declare that any government that chooses to dispel these rights is subject to be overthrown by the governed. In short Jefferson was saying that the right of the.
government to rule is derived from the people's ability to utilize and approve of their level of independence i.
