Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson's ideology, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, was influenced by Enlightenment ideas and John Locke's philosophy on natural rights, but was contradicted by his actions as a slaveholder and his fear of the consequences of immediate abolition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson's ideology can be inferred from his writings and public statements, particularly those relating to the Declaration of Independence. While Jefferson was a proponent of the Enlightenment ideas of natural rights and liberties, influenced heavily by John Locke, his actions, especially regarding slavery, exposed contradictions in his beliefs. He expressed anti-slavery sentiments through his language of natural rights, yet he owned slaves himself and only freed a few, often justifying the institution of slavery with contemporary racist ideologies and fearing the consequences of immediate abolition.
In his draft of the Constitution, Jefferson did not explicitly integrate John Locke's ideas, but the principles of individual rights are evident in the Declaration's text. The overarching values of liberty and equality that are embedded in the Constitution reflect the ideological influence of Locke on Jefferson and other founding fathers. However, the implementation of those principles was incomplete and often contradictory to the societal structures, such as slavery, that existed in their time.