John Locke Declaration Of Independence

On July 4th, 1776 our founding father's got together to create, “The Declaration of Independence” One of the quotes that benefit all U.S. citizens is that all people living in the United States are entitled to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Life, meaning every person has the right to live, to literally be alive. Liberty, meaning every person has the right to be whatever they choose, and to live their life however they want. The Pursuit of Happiness, meaning every person has the right to pursue happiness and do whatever makes them happy. These are inalienable rights that can never be taken away. John Locke is the person that created the phrase “The Pursuit of Happiness”, but Thomas Jefferson is the person that thought it was a good idea to put that in The Declaration of Independence. What does this phrase mean for us today? What did it mean for people in the past? What was

John Locke is not well known as a founder of the Declaration of Independence, but he is a main figure behind the philosophy of it. At first the Declaration and Locke seem to have no connection, but once one takes the time to look deeper they can see that the Declaration echoes Locke. Locke’s philosophy is condensed into a few hundred words under Thomas Jefferson’s pen.

We must first determine what is being said in the constitution when they wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Analyzing this we can see that Locke was stating that everyone is equal, and is born with certain "inalienable" natural rights. These rights are given to us by God and can never be taken or even given away by any force,

The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. The purpose of the document was to explain to other countries why the colonies were choosing to break away from Great Britain. Several different statements contained in the Declaration of Independence took inspiration from the Enlightenment, and John Locke. John Locke was an influential Enlightenment thinker. One case in point is how the document states about the consent of the government. This idea is from the Enlightenment, which supported people making their own decisions. An additional example is the concept that if the government does not protect the people, it would be necessary for the people to revolt. This comes from the Enlightenment, because the Enlightenment encouraged the people to question the government when things were wrong with

There are many ideals that can be interpreted in the Declaration of Independance, but there are four that really grab the attention of the American people. The reason that these ideals were transposed into the document can be traced back to the colonial time of America. The colonists were tired of being treated unfairly and they wanted new rules to be applied to their government. This resulted in the colonies declaring their independence from Britain and creating the ideals we live by today. There are many ideals, but there is one that is more important than the rest. The ideals stated in the Declaration of Independance are equality, unalienable rights, the right to alter or abolish government, and most importantly, the ability to have the consent of the governed.

On April 13, 1743, in Shadwell, Virginia, Thomas Jefferson was born. He was the author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence; the country 's first secretary of state (1789-94); second VP (1797-1801); and, as the third president (1801-09), the statesman in charge of the Louisiana Purchase. As open authority, history specialist, savant, and ranch proprietor, he served his nation for more than five decades.

America went through many trials and tribulations to earn their freedom, they faced many wars and casualties, the biggest step America took to gain independence was the written document of the Declaration of Independence. There was three basic parts to this document they were basic rights, British wrongs, and the creation of a new nation. The person in charge of theses three basic parts was Thomas Jefferson in his first argument he claims that all men were created equal and that they should be able to be happy and have freedom. Jefferson says this by saying “equal station to which the laws of nature and which Nature’s God entitles them”, also by saying this he mean that men should people to have their own opinion and thoughts. In this document Jefferson makes an even more valid point of why men should have basic rights he says “they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that are among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” , Jefferson says this in a very refound way.

When looking at the Declaration of Independence and the justifications which Jefferson used in order to encourage the dissolve of the ties between the United Colonies and Great Britain, it becomes apparent how much of the theories of John Locke that Jefferson used as the basis for his argument. Focusing particularly on the second paragraph of the Declaration, the arguments for the equality of each man and the formation and destruction of governments come almost directly from Locke's Second Treatise of Government. The other arguments in the Declaration of Independence deal primarily with each citizen's rights and the natural freedoms of all men, two areas that Locke also spent

Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the Declaration of Independence. It is more popular today than it was when it was written. The Declaration of Independence includes ideas that men are born free, born with 'inalienable rights', and that when your government no longer serves society's needs , then it is the peoples' right to eliminate that government and form a new one. These ideas came from John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, the British, during their 'Enlightenment' in the previous century.Thomas Paine wrote an influential pamphlet called ‘Common Sense’, and it influenced their decision to fight for their independence. He argues that government has a solitary purpose of protecting life, liberty, and property, and should be conjectured solely on the basis of extent to accomplish these intentions. He is convinced the colonies should be independent so that they can thrive ultimately. Patrick Henry wrote a speech called 'Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death'. He opposed the idea of independence of the colonies. Henry believes Britain was treating them not as equals,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature 's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation (Jefferson). This is the opening paragraph to the Declaration of Independence, which is one of the most easily recognized documents in the United States. In his opening, Thomas Jefferson makes the position of the colonies known; we have had enough and we shall take it from here. This statement, this document started a revolution, a civil war between the British of England, and the American British, who resided in the American Colonies. It has been said that the founding fathers of the United States were paranoid hypocrites and ungrateful malcontents (Gewen). Were the founding fathers truly malcontents or where they justified in their actions? Why did they feel justified in breaking away from England? This essay will review the mindset of the people involved on both sides of the conflict, where those beliefs originated and the events leading up the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence as said by Thomas Jefferson is “an expression of the American Mind”. Jefferson along with John Locke and other English constitutionalist theorists detailed the abuses by George III, brilliantly summarizing the views of the colonist who were seeking distance from England. Many of these grievances were politically shaped, others dealt with the American economy.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

In the Declaration of Independence (US 1776), Thomas Jefferson introduces a statement accepted by the Second Continental Congress to declare the causes that compel the thirteen colonies to separate themselves from the British Crown and form their own individual states. This revolutionary document is organized into six sections. The Declaration of Independence (US 1776) opens with an introduction, declaring the reasons the American colonies want to leave the British Crown. They also state that their independence is absolutely necessary and unavoidable. The second section includes the preamble which provides the reasons for writing the Declaration of Independence (US 1776). Also included in this section is the colonist’s beliefs about government and John Locke’s theory on natural rights and social contract. In the third section, 29 grievances are listed against England and King George III. These complaints include taxation without representation, forcing the colonists to keep British soldiers in their homes, restricting the colonist’s trade, shutting down colonial legislatures and their attempts to seek redress from the king for their problems. The fourth section is stating the colonist’s efforts to appeal various decisions made by King George III and how their requests were met in vain. The fifth section is a formal declaration stating that the colonies are now “Free and Independent States” (¶ 6). The colonies state they will rule themselves and discontinue their loyalty to

Locke believed the people were enabled to natural rights. These rights are life, liberty, and the protection of their property.

Locke saw the ownership of property an important natural rights, as well as fundamental to a good government and society. He believed that all citizens had a right to“life, liberty, and property”, if they had the means to attain it (SOURCE). He discusses his theories of property in the Second Treatise of Government. He said that God gave man the earth to hold in common. However, once man adds labor to the earth it becomes their private property. When a man plows a field, for example, it becomes his and so too do the benefits (or the fruits) of this land.