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Difficulty: MediumPhilosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

"The legislative cannot transfer the power of making laws to any other hands: for it being but a delegated power from the people, they who have it cannot pass it over to others. . . . When the government is dissolved, the people are at liberty to provide for themselves, by erecting a new legislative, differing from the other, by the change of persons, or form, or both, as they shall find it most for their safety and good."
— John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 1689

Which of the following developments in the British North American colonies during the 1770s was most directly influenced by the ideas expressed in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The implementation of mercantilist trade systems to promote economic self-sufficiency among individual colonies.
  2. B
    The colonial acceptance of the Declaratory Act as a necessary legal prerequisite before Parliament could levy internal taxes like the Stamp Act.
  3. The justification of colonial resistance and the eventual declaration of independence from Great Britain.Answer
  4. D
    The immediate creation of a highly centralized national executive to enforce laws across all colonies.

Answer

The justification of colonial resistance and the eventual declaration of independence from Great Britain.
The correct answer is the justification of colonial resistance and the eventual declaration of independence from Great Britain. In his Second Treatise of Government, John Locke formulated the social contract theory, arguing that government authority rests on the consent of the governed and that citizens have a right to replace a government that fails to protect their natural rights. American revolutionaries in the 1770s adopted this reasoning to justify their separation from the British Empire, as reflected in documents like the Declaration of Independence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus document to identify the core philosophical principles.
The text by John Locke (1689) argues that law-making authority is delegated by the people and that if a government is dissolved (fails its duty), the people have the right to form a new government.
This establishes that the source of government legitimacy is the consent of the governed (the social contract).
2
Connect Locke's principles to historical developments in the American colonies during the 1770s.
In the 1770s, as imperial crises escalated, American colonists used Locke's social contract theory to argue that King George III and Parliament had violated their rights, justifying colonial resistance.
This provides the intellectual link between Enlightenment political philosophy and the actual historical actions taken by the colonists.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the development most directly influenced by these concepts.
The justification of resistance and the formal declaration of independence directly applied the idea that when a government fails to protect people's safety and rights, they are free to erect a new government.
This confirms that the option describing the justification of resistance and independence represents the correct historical application of the stimulus.

Key Concept

The influence of Enlightenment thought, particularly John Locke's social contract theory and popular sovereignty, on the justifications for colonial resistance and independence.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Philosophical Foundations of the American Revolution

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