John Locke's influence on the Declaration of Independence's theory

Declaration of Independence

The Theory of Government presented in the Declaration

The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was greatly influenced by the political thoughts of the 17th century English philosopher John Locke and other thinkers of the European Age of Enlightenment. The theory of government presented in the Declaration is largely based on the political philosophy of Natural Rights that maintains that each individual enters a society with certain basic rights that no government can deny. The Declaration terms these Natural Rights as unalienable rights given to them by God, including the right of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

The document goes on to assert that all men are created equal and in order to acquire and keep these natural rights, they have a right to form a Government that derives its powers only from the consent of the people. It closely reflects John Locke's argument that the government is a contract between the governed and the governing, and its main purpose is to protect every man's inherent right to life, liberty, and property.

The Declaration also proclaims that if a Government fails in its main function, i.e., protection of the life, liberty and happiness of its people, then the people have a right to change the government. It is recognized by the author(s) of the document that such a change is not to be attempted for trivial reasons, but becomes necessary when the government starts to work against the interests of its people and when all possible attempts to rectify the situation have been exhausted.

Grievances against the King

The long list of grievances listed against King George III in the Declaration of Independence can be categorized in different ways, but in my view they are most appropriately divided in the following four categories:

Political: Most of the grievances mentioned in the Declaration are of a political nature. For example, the document accuses the King of not accepting Laws passed by the local governments; of not letting the Governors of colonies pass laws of pressing importance, and delaying his consent for rectification of laws. Repeatedly dissolving Representative Houses for opposing him, refusing to let new immigrants become citizens of American states, and coercing judges to do his bidding. Specific examples include the passage of a Declaratory Act in 1766 that asserted the British Parliament's right to legislate for the colonies in all cases.

Economic: One of the major 'economic' grievances against the King was the imposition of taxes without the consent of the people. Examples of such taxes include the 'Stamp Act' passed by the Parliament in 1765 that required the purchase of revenue stamps for legal documents and many other paper products. Another example is the Townshend Acts of 1767, which imposed duties on a variety of items imported by the colonies, especially tea.

Military Coercion: Grievances relating to the military include the presence of a large military force in the colonies, which was not answerable to the local laws, transporting of large armies of foreign mercenaries to fight and oppress the local populations, and encouragement of domestic insurrection. The Quartering Act of 1765, a measure that required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for British troops, is a specific example of such coercion.

Indifference to Pleas: Towards the end of the list of grievances, it is emphasized that repeated petitions were made to the King and the British people for redressing the injustices, but to no avail. For instance, as late as July 1775, the First Continental Congress sent one last plea to the king, often called the "Olive Branch Petition," asking him to repeal the hated laws.

Declaration as a Persuasive Case for Independence

The Declaration of Independence is without doubt a masterful document that encapsulates the general principles and theory of a civil government as well as justification for the American Revolution and a formal claim of independence in a surprisingly concise piece of writing.

Written in the main by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration reflects not only his thorough grasp of the theory of civil governments advanced by such philosophers as John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau, it also incorporates his substantial rhetorical and drafting skills. The result is a document that has not only become a guiding light for American politicians but has also inspired other revolutionaries in their fight against tyranny, around the world.

Its case for creating a new nation is based on the premise that it is an "unalienable right" of each individual to rebel against a government that fails to work for his or her benefit. After establishing the legitimacy of this premise, Jefferson goes on to gradually build his case by giving his long list of grievances. To make his arguments even more effective Jefferson has cleverly worded the document to make it an "us" vs. "them" issue. He has also chosen to target a single individual (the King) instead of the Parliament or the British people, which makes his task of proving that the sovereign committed 'breach of contract' with his subjects easier.

The main purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to announce to the world that the American states were now no more colonies of the British, to provide justification for the break with the British crown, to galvanize internal support by removing any ambiguity about the direction of the struggle, and to garner international support for the Revolution. History shows us that it succeeded on all counts.