Government and the Declaration of Independence - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 518 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/04/26 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Declaration of Independence Essay Did you like this example? From what I have heard and learned from Dr, Hodges History 3223 class, I chose to talk about the Two Treatises of Government by John Locke and the Declaration of Independence. I chose these two documents from different periods because I felt they had a great political connection and it was something important that fifth graders should know. Even though these documents were written in different periods, they have similarities and a minor difference as well. One of the most influential writings was written in 1690 by John Locke, the Two Treatises of Government. In the first treatise, John Locke aimed towards the work of another 17th- century political theorist. It was against the Patriarch by Sir Robert Filmer which defends the rights of kings. John Locke had the idea that people became royals by inheriting the right to govern and that God had given them that right. The second treatise of John Locke is where he wrote a fundamental argument about the natural rights of the pe ople. He begins by stating that people are born equal and have God given rights simply because they are born. It also states that people have the liberty to maintain and do with their lives and property as they please if that does not harm other peoples rights. In other words, John Locke believed peoples natural rights were life, liberty, and property and no one ought to harm that. The Declaration of Independence is the document that was signed on July 4th of the year 1776. It states that the thirteen colonies that were once at war with Great Britain, would become independent states. At first, the document tells the King about their beliefs on what made a good government. Then, it stated the things that the representatives did not think were fair. At the end, it is where it states that they would become independent, they would govern themselves and become the United States of America. These documents were important because during the time periods they were presented, they high lighted the needs and rights of the people. For example, in the Two Treatises of Government, John Locke was an advocate of limited government and if the government was not doing their job and violating the peoples rights (life, liberty, and property), then the people should be able to rebel and start over. On the other hand, the Declaration of Independence was important in the 1700s because it is a document used for the breakaway of Britain. The main connection I made between these two documents were that like John Lockes document, the Declaration of Independence also states that all men are created equal and that they are gifted with the rights of life and liberty by God. The only difference was that in John Lockes Two Treatises of Government, the last natural right states property whereas in the Declaration of Independence states the pursuit of happiness as the third natural right. Overall, the connections I made were that they both advocate for democracy, the natural rights of the people, and the right to rebel. This is important for fifth graders to learn because Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Government and the Declaration of Independence" essay for you Create order