Who primarily influenced the ideas in the Declaration of Independence?

The ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence were primarily influenced by John Locke, an Enlightenment philosopher whose theories on natural rights and government significantly shaped the thinking of the American Founding Fathers. Locke's concepts of life, liberty, and property, which he argued should be protected by government, can be directly traced in Thomas Jefferson's writings, particularly in the preamble of the Declaration, where it states the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

Locke proposed that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed and that people have the right to alter or abolish a government that fails to protect their rights. This influential idea of social contract theory underpinned the rationale for independence from Britain. The Founding Fathers, aiming to articulate their grievances against King George III and justify their quest for self-governance, drew extensively on Locke's principles.

Other philosophers, like Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau, contributed to Enlightenment thought as well, offering insights into government, society, and individual rights, but it was Locke's specific theories regarding natural rights and the role of government that had the most direct impact on the development of the Declaration of Independence.