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Lesson

Locke and the Declaration of Independence

Guiding question

How did John Locke’s ideas influence the Founding principles in the Declaration of Independence?

Published
Nov 6, 2024
Text of the Declaration of Independence, dated July 4, 1776, with a decorative blue swirl.

Objectives:

  • Identify and explain John Locke’s key philosophical ideas, especially those related to natural rights and government by consent. 
  • Analyze primary sources to identify and articulate how John Locke’s ideas influenced the Founding principles in the Declaration of Independence. 
  • Compare and contrast the ideas of John Locke with those expressed in the Declaration of Independence using a Venn diagram.  
  • Critically assess the extent to which John Locke’s ideas influenced the Declaration of Independence, providing a reasoned argument supported by evidence from the primary sources. 

Materials

 

Lesson Components

ActivityScaffolded Locke and the Declaration of Independence Primary Source

Explore the type of government Locke thought best and the foundation for its authority in protecting the natural rights of the people.

ActivityFrom John Locke to Thomas Jefferson Photo Frame Activity

Help students identify ways that John Locke’s Second Treatise of Government influenced the philosophies of Founders such as Thomas Jefferson.

EssayThe Ancient and Modern Influences that Shaped the American Founding

What philosophies influenced the Founders as they drafted the Constitution?

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