Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by the English philosopher John Locke while drafting the Declaration of Independence. Locke's ideas on individual rights and government by consent are reflected in the Declaration's text. Jefferson also incorporated terminology from Blackstone, even though he personally wrestled with the contradictions of his own slave ownership.
Step-by-step explanation:
The man whose ideas significantly influenced Thomas Jefferson when writing the Declaration of Independence was English philosopher John Locke. Jefferson's incorporation of Locke's principles is evident in the declaration's emphasis on individual rights, such as the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Locke's ideas are foundational in developing the American doctrine that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and must respect the natural rights of the people.
Thomas Jefferson, while drafting the Declaration of Independence in the summer of 1776, also used specific phrases attributed to Blackstone such as "self-evident," "unalienable rights," and "Laws of Nature," enriching the document with a legal philosophy that would strongly affect the foundations of American law and governance.
Despite the potential anti-slavery overtones in the language used in the Declaration, Jefferson himself had a complex relationship with the institution of slavery, as he was a slave owner who saw the practice as a "hideous blot" on the nation while simultaneously benefiting from it.