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Thomas Hobbes
The Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by English philosopher Thomas Hobbes in Principles, most notably the recognition of unalienable rights, the Social Compact, and limited government. Locke and the Founding Fathers, however, rejected Hobbes' argument that the government had absolute power over its subjects. Instead, the Founding Fathers embraced Locke's ideas of the protection of unalienable rights and limited government in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. -
John Locke
Locke held that the obligation to obey civil government under the social contract was conditional upon the protection of the natural rights of each person, including the right to private property. And it was to remove him, by force if necessary. The Founding Fathers established the first large-scale republic in the modern world. -
Baron de Montesquieu
Under his model, the political authority of the state is divided into legislative, executive and judicial powers. He asserted that, to most effectively promote liberty, these three powers must be separate and acting independently. an independent judiciary was key to maintaining a moderate government of ordered liberty. -
William Blackstone
The law not only regards life and members, and protects every man in the enjoyment of them, but also furnishes him with everything necessary for their support. Blackstone's Whiggish but conservative vision of English law as a force to protect people, their liberty, and their property -
George Washington
George Washington set seven precedents for the Executive Branch, Appointing Judges, Ceremonial purposes, Chief foreign diplomat, Choosing a Cabinet, Commander in Chief of the Military, Mr. President, and nothing more, No lifetime appointment -
Thomas Jefferson
By owning slaves, Jefferson directly contradicted these words, which were his own. Clearly, all men were not created equal. He did make attempts to abolish slavery, but never ended up freeing any of his own slaves. This not only proves how reliant on slavery he was but also speaks to his stubborn personality. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was designed for multiple audiences: the King, the colonists, and the world. It was also designed to multitask. Its goals were to rally the troops, win foreign allies, and announce the creation of a new country. Mission statements can change and adapt to your growing organization. Board and volunteers from your organization should get in the habit of reviewing the mission statement every one to three years, or in times of major transition for the organization. -
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution were the creation of the three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. This separation of powers ensured that power would not be concentrated in one particular branch. -
James Madison
Madison made a major contribution to the ratification of the Constitution by writing, with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, the Federalist essays.