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Which speaker is most clearly using the Enlightenment idea of natural rights to support American independence?

Option 1: Speaker 4
Option 2: Speaker 1
Option 3: Speaker 3
Option 4: Speaker 2

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The most likely speaker to utilize Enlightenment concepts of natural rights to advocate for American independence is the one influenced by John Locke's principle of popular sovereignty and his definition of natural rights. The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence drew heavily from these Enlightenment ideas.

Step-by-step explanation:

The speaker who is most clearly using the Enlightenment idea of natural rights to support American independence is influenced by the philosophy of Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke. Locke's concept of natural rights included the fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property, and his insistence on government being based on the consent of the governed (popular sovereignty).

Given that the American Revolution and the writing of the Declaration of Independence were deeply inspired by Enlightenment ideals, such as those espoused by Locke, it can be deduced that the speaker aligning with these notions is drawing upon Enlightenment thinking to justify independence.

Enlightenment philosophers such as Locke were instrumental in shaping the founding principles of the United States. Their ideas of natural rights and a government's duty to its people became central to the argument for American independence, as reflected in key documents like Thomas Paine's Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence.

The unanimous decision of twelve out of the thirteen colonies to approve the Declaration reflects the strong influence of these principles on the collective American mindset.

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