Introduction
John Locke’s Social Contract influenced The Declaration of Independence in many ways. The Social Contract included ideas about Rights by Nature, Roles of the Government, and the Right to Rebel. The Social Contract was a contract published in 1689 that gave all people certain rights, laid out how the government is supposed to be run and the responsibilities of the government. The Social Contract also gives rights to people to rebel when the government is becoming destructive. In the DBQ, Documents 1 and 2 show how John Locke’s ideas influenced Thomas Jefferson’s ideas regarding unalienable rights, the role of the government, and the right to rebel.
Unalienable Rights In the Declaration of Independence, Unalienable rights are stated as rights that are “Endowed by their Creator”. The idea of Unalienable rights was influenced by John Locke’s Social Contract. These rights are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson included Unalienable Rights in the Declaration of Independence to ensure certain rights to every human being. In John Locke’s Social Contract, he wrote, “Men have rights by their nature… We retain the right to life and …show more content…
The Declaration of Independence section on the role of the government was influenced by the Social Contract because it stated almost the same thing as the Social Contract. Also, John Locke wrote “Society creates order and grants the state its [purpose].” Locke is saying that the government only exists to do what the society wants. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote “...Deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.” Jefferson is saying that the government gets their power from the people, not from anyone
John Locke’s Social Contract influenced The Declaration of Independence in many ways. The Social Contract included ideas about Rights by Nature, Roles of the Government, and the Right to Rebel. The Social Contract was a contract published in 1689 that gave all people certain rights, laid out how the government is supposed to be run and the responsibilities of the government. The Social Contract also gives rights to people to rebel when the government is becoming destructive. In the DBQ, Documents 1 and 2 show how John Locke’s ideas influenced Thomas Jefferson’s ideas regarding unalienable rights, the role of the government, and the right to rebel.
Unalienable Rights In the Declaration of Independence, Unalienable rights are stated as rights that are “Endowed by their Creator”. The idea of Unalienable rights was influenced by John Locke’s Social Contract. These rights are life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Thomas Jefferson included Unalienable Rights in the Declaration of Independence to ensure certain rights to every human being. In John Locke’s Social Contract, he wrote, “Men have rights by their nature… We retain the right to life and …show more content…
The Declaration of Independence section on the role of the government was influenced by the Social Contract because it stated almost the same thing as the Social Contract. Also, John Locke wrote “Society creates order and grants the state its [purpose].” Locke is saying that the government only exists to do what the society wants. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote “...Deriving their powers from the consent of the governed.” Jefferson is saying that the government gets their power from the people, not from anyone