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How Did John Locke Contribute To The Formation Of The Constitution

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The founding of the constitution for America was founded on a number of ideas such as the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Virginia Bill of Rights and Articles of Confederation. Not only were these documents a key part to the forming of the constitution, but also the philosophies of those such as Locke and Montesquieu. The impact on the world around America at that time also made a huge impact. The influences from British government that lead the revolt for America’s independence. America was formed by so many different influences, ideas and philosophies that we are able to see that in our Constitution. From Great Britain, to John Locke, to Montesquieu each of these groups had an influence that lead to the making …show more content…

One of these views is that it is an individual natural right to private property. An idea that is practically same as our fifth amendment. Which states, “... nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation”. Without due process. This also leads into another idea of limited government by Locke. His view is that the limited government should secure life, liberty and estate. Which is almost identical to the phrase in The Declaration of Independence which states “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. Thomas Jefferson got this phrase from John Locke because Locke connects property with happiness. With both phrases being something that no person or government can take away from an individual. As for Montesquieu, in his writing he differentiates the different types of government and the pros and cons of them. These types …show more content…

Because of the unfair treatment the colonies received, they understood that the government they developed can not be like that of Great Britain. Therefore, the laws and ideas the shaped early America were not that of Great Britain’s because they saw all the negative aspects of it. Because of this, it lead to key phrases such as “natural rights” and “consent of the governed to be in the U.S. Declaration of Independence which influenced the

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From the 16th to 18th century, countries in Europe were experiencing new ideas and reforms. Philosophers like Locke believed in social equality. They have discussed the purpose of a government and spread their ideas. Locke’s ideas led to the revolution in France, who didn’t have rights under absolute monarch’s control. After the French gained their rights, people in Haiti started to fight because they wanted to have the same rights that French gained during the reform.

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The best form of government, as stated by Montesquieu, is one where the legislative, executive and judicial powers were separate and kept each other in check to keep any branch from being too powerful. He called this idea the separation of powers. An example of this in his eyes was England’s government. Charles mistook the way that political power operated. He saw the English government as one where it separated and balanced powers instead of one central part holding all the power.

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When our founding fathers were writing the constitution for our new nation, they looked at many different sources to gain thoughts on what they should include in the document. Some of the documents that the men looked at included the Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, and the English Bill of Rights. When the people in America decided that they needed to be able to have freedoms that the king wouldn’t let them have, they decided to break free of Great Britain. The Americans realized that in their new nation they wanted to make an establishment causing the government to have limited power over them because they wanted to be free.

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One of the biggest influences that John Locke had on President Jefferson was, what John Locke dubbed, “Natural Rights,” and what Jefferson called, “Unalienable Rights.” Meaning practically the same thing, these rights were very similar, and it is obvious that Jefferson’s version derives from Locke’s ‘Natural Rights.’ John Locke’s version stated that all peoples shall possess the following rights: Life, Liberty, and Property. In this case, life means, that people people will fight to live and want to survive. Liberty refers to being free, and being able to make one’s own decision.

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The colonies, under Great Britain, have been living under their rule in North America for one hundred and fifty years. Throughout those years, the colonists have been developing a new way to run the government. These colonists decided the first constitution would be the Articles of Confederation. Congress helped them adopt the Articles in 1777, but in the founders eye’s the articles were not working as well as they thought. What were some achievements of the Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

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Ultimately, Locke had a great influence in the American Constitution with the message within his philosophies on human rights and government. Baron de Montesquieu's • Montesquieu’s introduced the separation of

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What are the Historical Influences of United States Constitution? It is known that people all over the world have come to the United States, to create a better life for their families and themselves. The United States is known for having the best form of government for people to be included and have a say in their beliefs. What many people do not know is, what influenced the United States Constitution and the founding fathers in writing.

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Consequently, a limited government was created in response to these new thoughts. Furthermore, this new type of government was extremely revolutionary because it changed the way that the citizens had thought or viewed about the government. Two Enlightenment philosophers that influenced the creation of the government were John Locke and Montesquieu. John Locke had the belief that everyone had natural rights (life, liberty, property) and that if the government failed to protect these rights, they could be overthrown and replaced. Also, Montesquieu’s idea of the separation of powers helped shape the government.

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The founding fathers were influenced by many events and documents. They used these ideas to create the United States’ Constitution. One document that influenced America was the Mayflower Compact. The Mayflower Compact was written when the people in the United states made it because it was a new world and they needed laws . it was the first american democracy and it formed the constitution because it was a minnie example of what the gornmeto the new united states The Mayflower Compact shows the idea of Self-Government.

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John Locke was a philosopher and political scientist. He had many interests and produced a number of writings that influenced future leaders. One of these leaders was Thomas Jefferson, who was involved with the aid of America and the act gaining independence from Britain. The Declaration of Independence and Locke’s views on government contain many similar aspects. These ideas includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (natural rights); the protection that is provided by the government for these rights; and the altering or abolishment of government if it fails to provide and protect the rights of the people.

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John Locke Essay Joseph Gabriel Introduction To Political Theory Dr. Bagchi 20NOV2015 John Locke's most influential political writings can be found within the work entitled Two Treatises on Government. Within the Two Treatises on Government, Locke talks about the state of nature, the law of nature, rights to pursuit life, liberty, and property. John Locke believes that the good life is obtainable by forming a social contract to escape the state of nature. Through this social contract, man would pursuing the good life by establishing a civil society or government in which life, liberty, and property rights are its founding principles.

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John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu were political philosophers that debated the question of who was best fit to control the government. Locke and Montesquieu shared similar political beliefs such as natural rights and the separation of government powers. However, both philosophers did, in fact, have their personal views that helped them accomplish important achievements. John Locke published “Two Treatises of Government” and “ An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” which present a detail philosophy of the mind and thought. Locke’s “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” lays out his philosophical project.

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The connections between freedom and hierarchy in United States history have shaped what it means to be an American, and much of American history and the conflicts between its inhabitants can be viewed through the lens of freedom and hierarchy. It is important to note that the notions of freedom and hierarchy have evolved throughout time, and freedom and hierarchy have often meant vastly different things to the people of the United States. Many of the most important events in United States history can be looked at as a fight for freedom that could only be realized through either the preservation or destruction of established hierarchy. The very foundation of America’s separation as a colony from the British Empire was an attempt to gain certain freedoms that were denied to colonists in the New World. These freedoms for the colonists were limited thanks to the hierarchy between the center (British Empire) and periphery (colonies in the New World).

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With his curiosity he was able to compose a writing talking about the three various types of governments he believed existed, republican governments (democracy & aristocracy,) monarchies and despotisms. What he aimed in this piece, was what made these governments what they were, and what made their development restrain or progress. This theory called "The Separation of Powers" created a gigantic impact in liberal political theories and the U.S. Constitution. One of his secondary masterworks would be " The Spirit of the Laws" which talks about human laws and social institutions, which seemed impossible to Montesquieu. Simply because physical laws, were understandably controlled by God, meanwhile social institutions are created by unreliable human beings following abrupt passions.

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The French Revolution was undoubtedly influenced by the political theorists of the Enlightenment. The ideas of two French political theorists in particular are easily seen throughout the French Revolution, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Baron Montesquieu. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts and texts, such as the Social Contract, instilled the entitlement of basic human rights to all men. Rousseau’s concepts on rights combined with Baron Montesquieu’s ideas on government provided the backbone of a radical movement in the French Revolution known as the Terror. When one delves into the beginnings of the French Revolution, the motives and actions of the National Assembly, and the Terror of the French Revolution, one can obviously see the influence of two Enlightenment political theorists, Rousseau and Montesquieu.

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