Comparing John Locke And Thomas Jefferson's Declaration Of Independence

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Recommended: influences in american literature

Haider Qazi
Gregg Bergersen
HIST 1301
13 September, 2014
“John Locke vs. Thomas Jefferson”
John Locke's Second Treatise of Government and Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence are two of the most significant texts of all time. Many countries around the world have used these texts as the foundation for their declaration of independence. These authors laid the base for the knowledge of the State of Natural Rights of human being which is the establishing bases of our government. We can understand that The Second Treatise of Government and the Declaration of Independence are very identical in their message, which clearly substantiate Locke's work influenced Jefferson. Unpredictably as it is, Jefferson has been suspect over the times for plagiarizing John Locke.
The most significant similarity between both writings is that …show more content…

He says the people have the right to amend or eliminate the government and create a new one that will work in the best interests of them and protect their safety and pursuit of happiness. Locke states this idea, but in a different way. In his article he refers to this as the authority to penalize a crime, to protect mankind by having the authority to prevent something from occurrence. In other terms of this the public can modify, eliminate, or generate innovative laws and government. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson brings up many crimes that King George III committed not in favor of the colonies. 1One in particular, which was “He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.” Locke makes the point in his essay that we are not to ignore laws that need to be passed. If that law needs to be passed, then no person should keep it from passing. He makes it clear that what needs to be

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