Natural Rights, Social Contract, And Revolution

The Enlightenment, which largely took place in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, was an intellectual movement that focused on the development of reason and secularism, rather than spirituality. As a result, it directly influenced political and economic policy, especially within the British colonies. One very well-known philosopher was, John Locke; he argued the ideas of natural rights, social contract, and revolution. At their essence, these three concepts proved to be the philosophical basis for the colonies’ protest movement against imperial British policy.
Natural rights are defined by a specific group of entitlements, such as freedom, privacy, and life, which are granted to every human being despite them not being written in law. The colonists became defiant, mainly because they felt their economic policy was being controlled by the British, who were neglecting multiple natural rights. For
example, the colonists demanded that all taxes levied on them be done so by their elected representatives- the colonial legislatures. However, this request was completely ignored by Parliament. Consequently, this caused the colonists to bitterly resent any British attempts to tax based on revenue purposes. The Townshend Acts are a perfect example of such actions; they were indirect taxes on common imports, such as glass, tea, and paper, placed in the hopes of recovering debts from the Seven Years War. Overall, the idea of natural rights which developed from the Enlightenment, played a large role in the development of colonial protest movements. Due to the fact that the colonist believed that their natural rights were being violated, they concluded that the British had neglected their part of the social contract.
A social contract is a political philosophy which claims that the government and people are bound under a contract. The government is supposed to protect the people's rights and, in return, the people allow the government to rule. The theory had a huge impact on the ideals of the Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. This can be observed in the Declaration of Independence when it is written: “[T]hat to secure these rights, Government are are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent governed...” It is clearly a direct interpretation of Locke’s understanding of the social contract theory. Colonists understood that they already had the power, politically and economically, to become an independent nation and if the British would continue their corruptive ways, then according to the ideals of the Enlightenment it was necessary to
action. This leads to the final concept of revolution. It was said that if the government fails to protect the people’s rights than it is obligatory that the people revolt. In its simplest form, the American colonists believed that the British did not have the right to rule over them anymore, which caused the protest movements to develop into revolts. This can also be observed in Jefferson's writings in the Declaration of Independence. For example:
[t]hat whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.
It is made extremely clear, that the colonists no longer believe that is necessary for the British to hold control of them. Therefore, revolution is necessary in order to reform and regain political control and economic policy.
In conclusion, the Enlightenment proved to be the philosophical basis for the colonies’ protest movement against imperial British policy. It was the driving force behind the colonies wish for control over all their economic affairs, which was intertwined with multiple natural rights; therefore when the British failed to involve them, they felt that their social contract had been violated and it was their duty to revolt and form a new government that would fit their needs.