In Locke's Second Treatise of Government provided a framework as to why we should act on all these grievances and declare independence. His ideas focused on the theory of a "state of nature" in which all men are equal. One of the most noticeable instances of direct influence is in the preamble, where our Declaration proclaims the right of every man to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Locke's Treatises provides everyone with a right to defend their "life, health, Liberty, or possessions". Even the first sentence of our Declaration establishes a Natural Law, a theory popularized by Locke with his State of Nature ideas. It was also in this first section of the Declaration that we establish if it becomes necessary for one government to be abolished and another created, this process is allowed under Natural Law; so Locke's theory is employed again as his ideas of a State of Nature are lent to our idea of Natural Law. The second part of the Declaration, were we list our grievances (as already mentioned above) towards King George, and establish that because of these wrongs he is no longer fit to rule us as a colony. The final part of the Declaration in which we list the examples of governments not fit to lead their people. We show that the government of Great Britain has fallen under these guidelines, and therefore establish again that we must now separate from their government and form another.
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