John Locke's Second Treatise On Civil Government

The ideologies displayed in John Locke’s Second Treatise on Civil Government are in complete contrast to the experiences of William and Ellen Craft in Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom. John Locke’s work is known to have influenced the founders of the United States government, and his values can be seen in the establishing documents e.g. the Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States. Moreover, Locke’s ideals have had an influence on the values of United States citizens, which has affected western political thought overtime. William and Ellen Craft’s decision to take the risk to escape slavery was initiated and verified by the words of Thomas Jefferson within the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to

the state of nature, the state of war, slavery, property, etc. Locke’s position and descriptions in Second Treatise on Civil Government still affect individuals today through the legal system and cultural values. The story Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom illustrates the experiences of William and Ellen Craft. They were married slaves in the state of Georgia; the story recounts their escape from William’s perspective. Once imagined, the escape only took eight days. The Crafts were able to travel in plain sight because Ellen had a light complexion and dressed as man; she acted as if William were her slave. The couple set a course to Boston, Massachusetts. In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed, causing the couple to hide from slave catchers. The Crafts had to move to England for their safety. William and Ellen lived in London, raised five children, and published the story Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom. In 1870, the Crafts returned to the United States and lived in Savannah,

William Craft displays progressive ideas for his time period in the quote, “It is still more surprising to see virtuous ladies looking with patience upon, and remaining indifferent to, the existence of a system that exposes nearly two millions of their own sex in the manner I have mentioned”. William Craft is able to decipher the issue of slavery beyond the surface level, and he is able to see the issue of women rights. John Locke is able to show his view on the status of women through the quote, “This would give the father but a joint dominion with the mother over them: for nobody can deny but that the woman lath an equal share, if not the greater, as nourishing the child a long time in her own body out of her own substance” (39). The idea that women had an equal right and say in raising their child was a progressive statement for the late 1680’s. John Locke also has made statements that suggest “the marriage contract is voluntary for both parties and the terms to some extent even negotiable by each” (University of Notre Dame). John Locke has forward thinking thoughts for women’s rights at the time, while William Craft recognizes the importance of women standing-up for themselves to make advances as a