The key idea of John Locke that affected how the American colonists viewed the government in England was his theory of the social contract and natural rights. Locke argued that governments are created by the consent of the governed to protect their natural rights-life, liberty, and property-and that government power should be limited and based on this consent. If a government fails to protect these rights or abuses its power, the people have the right to withdraw their consent and overthrow it
. This challenged the prevailing belief that monarchs ruled by divine right. Instead, Locke maintained that political authority comes from the people, not God, and that government is a mutual contract between rulers and citizens. His ideas justified resistance to unjust rule and influenced the colonists' view that the English government, particularly under King George III, had violated their rights and broken the social contract, legitimizing their call for independence
. Additionally, Locke’s advocacy for separation of powers and majority rule influenced the colonists’ ideas about how government should be organized to prevent tyranny and protect individual freedoms
. In summary, Locke’s concept that government must be limited, based on the consent of the governed, protect natural rights, and could be overthrown if it became tyrannical deeply shaped colonial attitudes toward the English government and fueled the American Revolution
