Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson drew on John Locke's concepts of natural rights and the social contract, as well as Rousseau's ideas of government by consent to pen the Declaration of Independence. These ideas affirmed that governments exist to protect unalienable rights, and shaped the democratic foundations of the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson incorporated ideas from John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the Declaration of Independence. He was influenced by John Locke's concepts of natural rights and the social contract to justify the American colonies' right to independence. Rousseau's philosophies also contributed to Jefferson's vision of a government based on the consent of the governed.
John Locke's concepts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were transformed by Jefferson into the declaration's assertion of unalienable rights. These ideas stood in contrast to any notion of the divine right of kings, an idea that was common at the time but represented the antithesis of the philosophies Jefferson drew on. Instead of establishing a monarchy, the Declaration provided the foundation for a new, democratic government that centered around the protection of individual rights.