Direct Impact
Two Treatises of Government
The Two Treatises of Government written by John Locke aimed to protect the people from the government. The document stated that the peoples' natural rights allow them to have a say in their government. Locke also claimed that the government gained their power only from the consent of the governed. The Two Treatises of Government supported government protection of people's natural rights to life, liberty, and property. It was this political theory that went on to shape the United States first governing documents, such as, The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
Lasting Impact
After John Locke's death in 1704, his ideas continued to shape American government and principles. Locke's ideas presented in his Two Treatises of Government were the building blocks that led to the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson used Locke's fundamental ideas expressing that all people are created equally possessing the same "natural rights". These ideas seen in The Declaration of Independence set the tone for the United States government as the founding fathers developed a democratic republic in which “we the people” have the power.