British Settlement on the Traditional Territories of Native Americans

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British Settlement on the Traditional Territories of Native Americans Background John Locke (1632-1704) was an English empiricist philosopher, whose ideas have had a profound impact on America. To properly comprehend the answer to question i.e. why can the British settle on the traditional territories of Native Americans without asking their consent, the most famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence, will be quoted: “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” The concept, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, the author introduces and discusses in treatise with strange logic that incidentally provides the answer to question under focus. Logic Offered by Locke of British Encroachments In the beginning, when the entire world was America, they had possessed extra land, more than their needs; the rest of the world had the right to utilize the piece of land that was being wasted by the real owners. The author brings in the concept of money and gives the back ground before linking it with the title of property. “But, since gold and silver, being little useful to the life of man, in proportion to food, raiment, and carriage, has its value only from the consent of men- whereof labor yet makes in great part the measure- it is plain that the consent of men have agreed to a disproportionate and unequal possession of the earth- I mean out of the bounds of society and compact;” (Sec 50) The developing concept of money thus made it very easy to conceive that how labor could at first begin a label of pr...

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...make use of. If he gave away a part to any body else, so that it perished not uselessly in his possession, these he also made use of. And if he also bartered away plums, that would have rotted in a week, for nuts that would last good for his eating a whole year, he did no injury; he wasted not the common stock; destroyed no part of the portion of goods that belonged to others, so long as nothing perished uselessly in his hands.” References John Locke, (Sec, 43) The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter 5: Of Property 1690 John Locke, (Sec, 46) The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter 5: Of Property 1690 John Locke, (Sec, 50) The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter 5: Of Property 1690 John Locke, (Sec, 51) The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter 5: Of Property 1690 John Locke, (Locke pg. 19) The Second Treatise of Government, Chapter 5: Of Property 1690

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