Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson uses 'he has' to present King George III's abuses justifying colonial rebellion, including the natural rights to 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness'. The Declaration's language was rooted in the ideas of John Locke and Blackstone and contained complexities especially regarding slavery in the era. Jefferson's slaveholding reflects the time's conflicting attitudes towards natural rights and slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson repeatedly uses the phrase "he has" to list the grievances against King George III, demonstrating the monarch's abuses and failures in his duty to the colonists. Jefferson's use of 'he has' is a rhetorical strategy to emphasize the ongoing and direct role of the King in the perceived injustices suffered by the colonies. Jefferson highlights the natural rights of 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' as universal, despite the fact that he, himself a slaveholder, did not address the abolition of slavery in any definitive way. The inclusion of the phrase 'all men are created equal' signified the appeal to natural rights and set forth a radical ideal that would later fuel movements for equal rights, even though the statement was controversial in a slaveholding society.
Jefferson's reference to natural rights draws directly from English philosopher John Locke, rephrased as 'unalienable Rights' in the Declaration. Locke's theory suggested that should a ruler fail to protect these natural rights, his subjects had the justification to rebel and establish a new government. Jefferson adopted this logic to rationalize the colonies' rebellion against British rule and the establishment of a new American government. Despite these ideals, Jefferson only freed a very small number of his slaves and his explanation for not advocating immediate abolition reflects the complex and conflicting attitudes towards slavery at the time.
Notably, phrases like 'self-evident' and 'Laws of Nature,' present in the Declaration, can be attributed to the influence of Blackstone, further illustrating the philosophical underpinnings of Jefferson's argument for independence.