Influences on the Declaration of Independence

In order to understand the views of the colonists, Martina and Terrance must travel backward in time to the Age of Enlightenment. During this time, new political ideas about the relationship between people and their government helped to justify the Declaration of Independence. They are introduced to two Englishmen, John Locke and Thomas Paine. Both of these men influenced the ideas written in the Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson.

Essential Questions

• How did the views of John Locke and Thomas Paine impact the writing of the Declaration of Independence?