Final answer:
John Locke was influenced by the Whigs of England. His Enlightenment ideals formed the basis of American political thought, significantly impacting the Founding Fathers and the principles of the American Revolution.
Step-by-step explanation:
Influence on John Locke
John Locke, a pivotal figure of the Enlightenment, was greatly influenced by the Whigs of England. Unlike the prevalent belief that monarchs were divinely appointed, Locke's philosophy was grounded in the idea that government stemmed from a social contract between the rulers and the ruled. His thoughts were crucial to the development of political ideas regarding liberty, self-government, and natural rights in the American colonies, influencing Founding Fathers like Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Locke's legacy is evident in foundational American documents and the very ideals that spurred the American Revolution.
Locke's concept that a government must protect the lives, liberty, and property of its people, and that citizens had the right to overthrow a government that fails to do so, laid the groundwork for the revolutionary spirit in the Colonies. The Enlightenment ideals that Locke espoused were instrumental in shaping the mindset that led to America's quest for independence from British rule.