The political, economic, and diplomatic crises of the 1780s played a great role in shaping the Constitution because they proved that the United States needed a much stronger central government that could tax freely and engage with other countries.
The purpose of government, Locke wrote, is to secure and protect the God-given inalienable natural rights of the people. For their part, the people must obey the laws of their rulers. ... Jefferson adopted John Locke's theory of natural rights to provide a reason for revolution.
