The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence and the ideas reflected in it continue to influence governments around the world. When Thomas Jefferson penned the document, he was well aware of the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

• Hobbes believed that governments were formed based on social contracts between the people and their rulers. He argued that this was to protect people from their natural, violent state.


• Locke also believed that governments were based on social contracts. Locke felt that people have the natural right to life, liberty, and property; he believed that governments were founded to protect these rights.


• Rousseau believed that all men are equal.

Despite the idea of all men being equal residing within the Declaration of Independence, it was not legally applicable to society. Women, American Indians, slaves, and the poor all had their natural rights restricted. Jefferson's words would help inspire an eventual shift toward a government where all people were equal.