In the link that I am providing, check out the second paragraph. It states that all men are "endowed with unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is probably the most famous phrase from the document. Jefferson borrowed it from John Locke and substituted "the pursuit of happiness" for Locke's "property." Jefferson goes on to say that government gets its power from the consent of the governed. This...
In the link that I am providing, check out the second paragraph. It states that all men are "endowed with unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." This is probably the most famous phrase from the document. Jefferson borrowed it from John Locke and substituted "the pursuit of happiness" for Locke's "property." Jefferson goes on to say that government gets its power from the consent of the governed. This gives the people the right to rebel or even to overthrow a government that does not preserve these natural laws. Jefferson then goes on to encourage citizens to be "prudent"; this means that the people should not rebel in the event of a first offense. Rather, they should seek other opportunities to correct the government. Jefferson himself was a fan of revolution that brought government back to these original principles. This made him quite a few enemies among conservatives who did not believe that the people were capable of self-governance.
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