---
title: "Why did Thomas Jefferson incorporated John Locke's idea of social contract theory in the Declaration of Independence?"  
description: "Why did Thomas Jefferson incorporated John Locke's idea of social contract theory in the Declaration of Independence?"  
author: "James ann"  
published: 2018-04-26  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/41965/why-did-thomas-jefferson-incorporated-john-locke-s-idea-of-social-contract-theory-in-the-declaration-of-independence  
category: "history, politics & society"  
tags: ["usa history"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Why did Thomas Jefferson incorporated John Locke's idea of social contract theory in the Declaration of Independence?

Why did [Thomas Jefferson](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/42893/whom-did-thomas-jefferson-defeat-in-the-1800-presidential-election) incorporated [John Locke](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51292/who-was-john-locke)'s idea of social contract theory in the [Declaration of Independence](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/34804/how-many-men-signed-the-declaration-of-independence-in-1776)?


---

Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/41965/why-did-thomas-jefferson-incorporated-john-locke-s-idea-of-social-contract-theory-in-the-declaration-of-independence

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