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How Did John Locke Influence Thomas Jefferson

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It is understood that John Locke played a key role of influence on Thomas Jefferson. This influence can be seen through Jefferson’s writing on the nation’s founding document. This document is called the Declaration of Independence. John Locke, the English Enlightenment philosopher wrote his Two Treatises of Government to refute the belief that kings ruled by divine right and to support the Glorious Revolution of 1688 (Doc 1). This piece of political philosophy provided many explanations for the people’s rights and obligations to overthrow a corrupt government. Specifically, Locke’s ideas from his Two Treatises of Government heavily influenced Thomas Jefferson’s rationale for the propriety of America’s separation from England by expressing a great deal in the right to change the government, human rights trust and strong legislative. …show more content…

“There may be laws made and rules set as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of society… for it can never be… the society that the legislative should have a power to destroy that which everyone designs to secure by entering into society, and for which the people submitted themselves to legislators of their own making,” meaning if a legislator claims to destroy property of the people or resort them to slavery, God hath provided for all men against force and violence (Doc 1). As clearly stated in The Declaration of Independence, whenever any form of government becomes destructive or corrupt, people have the right to abolish it and institute a new government (Doc 2). Not only can similarities be shown through the right to change the government, but it can also be seen through human’s

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