How did John Locke's ideas about natural rights influence the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke’s political philosophy was a foundational influence on the U.S. Declaration of Independence, providing the intellectual framework for the document's core arguments regarding human rights and governance.123

Locke argued that individuals possess certain natural rights—specifically life, liberty, and property—that exist independently of any government. He posited that political authority is derived from a social contract between the governed and their leaders, intended to protect these inherent rights. When a government fails to secure these conditions or acts against the interests of the people, Locke maintained that the citizens have a moral right and duty to engage in revolution to establish a new, legitimate authority.243

Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration, drew directly from these Lockean principles. The famous assertion that all men are endowed with "unalienable Rights," including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," reflects Locke’s influence, as does the document's justification for separating from British rule due to the Crown's persistent violation of the social contract.34