Question

Which rights listed in John Locke’s Two Treatises of Civil Government did Thomas Jefferson include when writing the Declaration of Independence? What were the objectives of the First Continental Congress?

a. Natural rights and the right to revolution.

b. Right to property and separation of powers.

c. Freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.

d. Right to a fair trial and protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Answer 1

Thomas Jefferson incorporated John Locke's ideas of natural rights and the right to revolution into the Declaration of Independence, amending Locke's notion of property rights with the pursuit of happiness.

Step-by-step explanation:

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he included ideas from John Locke's Two Treatises of Government regarding natural rights and the right to revolution. Specifically, Locke's assertion that individuals have the fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property, and that governments should operate with the consent of the governed. However, in the Declaration, Jefferson adapts the property right to the right to pursue happiness. This adjustment shifted the focus from material wealth to a broader concept of personal fulfillment and well-being. Furthermore, Locke's notion that if a government fails to protect these rights, citizens have the duty to overthrow and establish a new governance, is echoed in the colonists' rationale for seeking independence from British rule.