where did colonists get the belief in personal freedom
American Revolution
John Locke 's ( 1632 -- 1704 ) ideas on liberty influenced the political thinking behind the revolution , especially through his indirect influence on English writers such as John Trenchard , Thomas Gordon , and Benjamin Hoadly , whose political ideas in turn had a strong influence on the American revolutionaries . Locke is often referred to as `` the philosopher of the American Revolution '' due to his work in the Social Contract and Natural Rights theories that underpinned the Revolution 's political ideology . Locke 's Two Treatises of Government published in 1689 were especially influential . He argued that all humans were created equally free , and governments therefore needed the `` consent of the governed . '' In late eighteenth - century America , belief was still widespread in `` equality by creation '' and `` rights by creation '' . 
John Locke 's ( 1632 -- 1704 ) ideas on liberty influenced the political thinking behind the revolution , especially through his indirect influence on English writers such as John Trenchard , Thomas Gordon , and Benjamin Hoadly , whose political ideas in turn had a strong influence on the American revolutionaries . Locke is often referred to as `` the philosopher of the American Revolution '' due to his work in the Social Contract and Natural Rights theories that underpinned the Revolution 's political ideology . Locke 's Two Treatises of Government published in 1689 were especially influential . He argued that all humans were created equally free , and governments therefore needed the `` consent of the governed . '' In late eighteenth - century America , belief was still widespread in `` equality by creation '' and `` rights by creation '' .
John Locke's (1632 - 1704) ideas on liberty influenced the political thinking behind the revolution. He argued that all humans were created equally free, and governments therefore needed the ``consent of the governed''. In late eighteenth century America, belief was still widespread in ``equality by creation'' and ``rights by creation''.
John Locke 's ( 1632 -- 1704 ) ideas on liberty influenced the political thinking behind the revolution , especially through his indirect influence on English writers such as John Trenchard , Thomas Gordon , and Benjamin Hoadly , whose political ideas in turn had a strong influence on the American revolutionaries . He argued that all humans were created equally free , and governments therefore needed the `` consent of the governed . '' In late eighteenth - century America , belief was still widespread in `` equality by creation '' and `` rights by creation '' .