The Declaration of Independence

Enlightenment Through Independence

The Enlightenment Locke

–People have natural rights–Governments that fail to protect those rights should be abolished

Rousseau–The “Social Contract”

Thomas Jefferson

Selected to draft a statement declaring the colonies independence

Influenced by Locke

Thomas Jefferson 33 year old

Virginian Aristocrat Member of the

House of Burgesses Served in the

Second Continental Congress

The Declaration of Independence

Contains two parts–Principles of Natural Rights and the Social Contract

–A list of the actions by the King that breaks the contract

Part IAll men are created equalNatural RightsGovernment by consentRight of people to alter or

abolish government

A list of actions taken by the King and Parliament that the colonists considered a break of the social contract

A justification of independence

Part II

D of I et ceteraIt was not written for King,

but for the colonistsTreasonFails to mention women or

slavesMeant to be preformedCaused problems

Problems with Independence

Not everyone wanted independence

Colonies had no government

The Declaration of Independence Today

It is a “Living Document”–Still inspires

People all over the world try to live up to the ideals of the D of I