Declaration Of Independence Influence

Influences of The Declaration of Independence Many aspects went into the making of The Declaration of Independence, though one major event of the world’s history has a more extraordinary impact on the document that helps mold the nation into the land of the free. The Enlightenment period is a time from which many famous scholars are at their peak of studies and discovers. Other than the scholars, there is also philosophers and literal “enlightenment thinkers” that help influence the ones around them to be open to change. The Enlightenment period is more than a change of times, it a new beginning that is declared by the rights of the people to create The Declaration of Independence. The enlightenment is a period that is often described as

Of those main authors, the one with the most influence is Thomas Jefferson. In Inventing America: Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence by Garry Wills, many of the scholars behind The Declaration are discussed, Jefferson is targeted more specifically. He is most widely known for his famous quote known as “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (US 1776). Along with the colonists, Jefferson believed that it is the government’s responsibility to protect the natural rights of the people, including the duty of protecting the people themselves. He even claims that "rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual” (Wills 268). This supports his claim to promote natural rights in the sense that it is what the people are born with and will have what should be given under any circumstances. While Jefferson seems to be the leader in all of this, he is heavily influenced by the ideas and believes that already exist from John Locke, who is also an advocate for the belief in natural rights. He believes that society benefits most when it is in control of their freedom. He even claims the original statement that Jefferson live by, which is

Many different beliefs are being addressed, but all with one common goal in mind, the people’s right to freedom. The Enlightenment period is more than a change of times, it a new beginning that is declared by the rights of the people and each individual is within their own natural rights. If the government is corrupting their rights, the people have the power to replace them with a government that will not make the same mistake. With the scholars, philosophers and other enlightenment thinkers in 1776, The Declaration of Independence is