How Did Thomas Paine Influence The Declaration Of Independence

172 Words1 Pages
During the American Revolution many of the ideas of government and individual rights came from the Enlightenment. The ideas of Locke and Hobbes inspired Thomas Paine when writing the Common Sense pamphlet and leaders when writing the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Paine's pamphlet used the ideas of Hobbes to persuade colonists to gain independence from the King. Hobbes believed in a negative government, selfishness, and how people are greedy for power. Paine shows the colonists how the King is controlling, greedy, and only wants power. The Declaration of Independence uses the ideas of Locke to explain individual rights given to the people by God. Locke believed that people were given a blank slate when they were born and they had the