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Difficulty: EasyAtlantic Revolutions and Ideological Declarations

Source: Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 1776

"That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety."

The ideas expressed in this excerpt most directly reflect which of the following Enlightenment concepts?

  1. A
    The radical restructuring of the social hierarchy to eliminate the aristocracy
  2. B
    The immediate abolition of chattel slavery to establish racial equality
  3. The belief in natural rights to life, liberty, and propertyAnswer
  4. D
    The consolidation of state-controlled mercantilist trade policies

Answer

The belief in natural rights to life, liberty, and property
The excerpt from the Virginia Declaration of Rights emphasizes that all individuals possess inherent rights to life, liberty, and property (framed here as acquiring and possessing property). This directly reflects the Enlightenment concept of natural rights, most famously articulated by John Locke, which argued that these rights are fundamental and cannot be surrendered to a government.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the text of the Virginia Declaration of Rights to identify key terms.
The text mentions inherent rights that cannot be divested by any compact, specifically the enjoyment of life, liberty, and acquiring and possessing property.
Identifying the core message of the source document is the first step in determining its ideological origin.
2
Connect these terms to key Enlightenment principles.
Life, liberty, and property are the foundational natural rights formulated by John Locke during the Enlightenment.
Locke's theories of natural rights and the social contract heavily influenced the ideological declarations of the Atlantic Revolutions.

Key Concept

The influence of Enlightenment ideas of natural rights on revolutionary documents.
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Topics

Atlantic Revolutions and Ideological Declarations

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