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Difficulty: EasyPhilosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

Read the excerpt below.

"Among the natural rights of the Colonists are these: First, a right to life; Secondly, to liberty; Thirdly, to property; together with the right to support and defend them in the best manner they can. These are evident branches of, rather than deductions from, the duty of self-preservation..."
— Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists, 1772

The ideas expressed in the excerpt were most directly influenced by which of the following?

  1. The Enlightenment concept of natural rights, which argued that individuals possess inherent rights to life, liberty, and propertyAnswer
  2. B
    The economic principles of mercantilism, which asserted that colonies exist primarily to enrich the mother country through strict trade regulations
  3. C
    The debates surrounding the Articles of Confederation, which focused on the distribution of power between state and national governments
  4. D
    The colonial efforts to establish a specific procedural timeline for the imperial administration to levy domestic taxes

Answer

The Enlightenment concept of natural rights, which argued that individuals possess inherent rights to life, liberty, and property
The correct answer is correct because Samuel Adams's assertion of the natural rights to 'life, liberty, and property' directly reflects the political philosophy of John Locke and other Enlightenment thinkers. These ideas formed the moral and intellectual justification for colonial resistance to British rule.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt to identify key themes and language.
The text highlights 'natural rights' defined specifically as the rights to 'life,' 'liberty,' and 'property,' stemming from 'self-preservation' and the 'law of nature.'
Identifying the central terminology in the source connects the text to its broader intellectual context.
2
Associate the identified themes with 18th-century intellectual movements.
The phrasing 'life, liberty, and property' directly mirrors John Locke's second treatise of government, a foundational text of the European Enlightenment.
Connecting the source's content to the correct historical movement determines the underlying influence.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that accurately describes this intellectual connection while rejecting historically mismatched alternatives.
The option referencing the Enlightenment concept of natural rights is the correct fit, while others describe unrelated economic policies, post-revolutionary government structures, or procedural tax issues.
This final comparison ensures the chosen answer is the most direct and accurate explanation for the stimulus.

Key Concept

Enlightenment influence and the concept of natural rights in the American Revolution
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

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