Final answer:
Jefferson and Locke are noted as Enlightenment writers because their works reflect Enlightenment principles such as liberty, natural rights, and social contracts, which influenced the American Revolution and the formation of the United States government.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why are Jefferson and Locke Characterized as Enlightenment Writers?
Thomas Jefferson and John Locke are characterized as Enlightenment writers because their works embody the Enlightenment's core values of liberty, natural rights, social contract, and the nature of just governments. These concepts were revolutionary in a time when absolute monarchies and church authorities predominated, and Enlightenment thinkers like Locke challenged the status quo by proposing that governance should be based on reason, empirical evidence, and the consent of the governed.
Jefferson, a Founding Father of the United States, was greatly inspired by these ideas and incorporated them into the Declaration of Independence, which espouses the belief that governments have a duty to their people. Locke's philosophy of government by social contract and his advocacy for life, liberty, and property as fundamental rights deeply influenced Jefferson and other American founders. As Enlightenment writers, both Locke and Jefferson were instrumental in the philosophical underpinnings of the American Revolution and the birth of the United States.