John Locke

“Two Treatises on Civil Government” (1689)

H-SS 11.1.1- Describe the Enlightenment and the rise of democratic

ideas as the context in which the nation was founded
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• John Locke wrote Treatises on Civil
Government.
• This writing reflects the ideology of the
Glorious Revolution. Forces of Parliament
had won and they selected William & Mary
as their new monarchs.
• The Glorious Revolution limited the power
of the Royal Family and forced them to live
by the Magna Carta and the (English) Bill
of Rights.

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John Locke had a positive view of Human Nature

He believed mankind was

•Good
•Moral
•Honest
•Reasonable

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 Humans in Nature
• Humans born with natural rights to:
• Life
• Liberty
• Property - Dec. of Independence changed to the
“Pursuit of Happiness”…… Property = Happiness

• Rights came from God or nature not the gov’t, so

gov’t can not take them away, which makes
them inalienable

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 Social Contract
• Gov’t gets its authority to rule from
the people.
• Gov’t exists to protect your natural
rights (life, liberty, and property).
• If it fails the people have a Right to
Revolution

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Our country was founded on the idea
that if our government fails to protect
our rights we have the right to get rid of
it or change it to make it better

• Right to Revolution-people have the right

or duty to rebel if gov’t fails to protect their
rights
--This is the driving force of our Political
system--
• It can happen two ways:
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Peaceful Change- government changes as citizens
recognize problem(s) and correct them w/o changing
gov’t. Citizens vote to change the gov’t.
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• When the system fails to react to problems
or when gov’t becomes unjust citizens will
riot or start open rebellions.
• During Revolutionary War period people
tried to peacefully change system when it
failed they started the war

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 Declaration of Independence
• Written by Thomas Jefferson. It is based
on John Locke’s philosophies as written in
“Two Treatises on Civil Government”
• It described unalienable natural rights,
social contract, and the right to revolution
• It was an expression of what the colonists
believed were their rights as English
subjects
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Declaration of Independence
• Unalienable natural rights-cannot be
taken away
• Social contract-gov’t gets authority to
rule from the people
• Right to revolution-if gov’t fails to
protect natural rights then the people
have the right to change or replace
the gov’t

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Written by
Thomas Jefferson
based on ideas
Of John Locke

Declaration of Independence 12
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that
Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and
accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while
evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are
accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right,
it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future
security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the
necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history
of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all
having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To
prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

•Read the Declaration of Independence-the areas marked in red reflect John Locke’s
ideas and the beliefs about government that all British subject held at the time of our
revolution.

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