John Locke was an English philosopher who lived in the late 17th century. A writer of political principle books, Locke was greatly influenced by the beliefs of Thomas Hobbes, another English philosopher. John Locke believed people live in anarchy, that is a "state of nature." People needed and chose a leader. Mr. Locke's writings stated that the leader or government was bound by an unwritten social contract. If a ruler violated this contract, the people had the right to overthrow them and replace them with a leader who respected the contract. People had natural rights, such as the right to live, the right to liberty, and the right to own property. .
Thomas Jefferson, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, was a very scholarly man. His library at the time of his death, contained more than 3,000 books. It's fabled that only 30 or so of those were unread by him. Jefferson was extremely interested in Locke's opinions, documented in Two Treaties on Civil Government. In the creation of the new nation, Thomas Jefferson found it very important to incorporate the natural rights suggested by Locke.
Our Declaration of Independence bluntly states that all people are deserving of the freedoms naturally born to them. The colonists had the right to revolt against the King of England. Their liberty was threatened by oppressive taxes and they did not consent to be governed. In conclusion, John Locke's philosophies shaped our Declaration of Independence and created a standard on which all countries in today's world should follow.
