In crafting the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers used the work of John Locke's Second Treatise on Government as an ideological framework. The similarities are mainly notable in the claims against the king, but can also be found in other important areas. Locke's concept of the state of nature is evident in the Founders' assertions, while the influence of Locke's ideals on political power and the function of government can be seen in the arguments presented in the Declaration. However, the two texts diverge on important points; The most significant difference between the two documents is that the Declaration does not repeat some of the extreme positions held by Locke in his discussion of the state of war. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Declaration of Independence was built on Locke's concepts of government. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayJohn Locke's conception of the state of nature strongly influenced the drafting of the Declaration. He devotes the second chapter of the Second Treatise on Government to the State into which, according to him, men are naturally born and to the rights they deserve. Here he presents the idea that men are created as equals when he says: "because it is simply evident that creatures of the same species and status, all born with the same advantages of nature and to use the same abilities, should also be equal” (Locke 3). This quote has a great influence on the Declaration because, by affirming that the equality of men is obvious, Locke made this idea appear incontestable. The founding fathers wanted a strong and unequivocal statement to address the king, so they took inspiration from this passage to write the famous sentence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” (Declaration). This line not only delivers a powerful message, but also establishes the ideals that guide the rest of the text and play a major role in the formation of the new United States of America. The arguments made by Locke are often used to support the claims of the Declaration. against the king. From the first statement, Locke's definition of political power is referenced. It defines political power as the right to make, regulate and enforce laws, emphasizing that political power is only intended to be used for the public good. The first statement uses this definition to support the claim that King George III exceeded his power, since the authors state that "he withheld his assent to the laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public welfare" (Declaration ). This statement refers to the king's veto of laws passed by the colonies, laws that would improve their societies. To support this claim, the Founding Fathers provide examples of how laws passed by the king harmed the colonies. These arguments lead to assertions regarding the importance of consent when it comes to government. Two of the important ideals of government expressed by Locke are the importance of the consent of the governed and the problems inherent in monarchy. He ends his chapter on the state of nature by emphasizing how much consent is required by populations; as Locke says, “and I also affirm that all men are naturally in the state of nature and remain so until they consent to become members of a political society” (Locke 7). In the Declaration, the authors emphasize that..