“Notes on the State of Virginia” from the Monticello

The Monticello is a world heritage site sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. This article contains several additional resources that explore Jefferson’s work.

Second Treatise of Government by John Locke (1689)

The Second Treatise of Government is a philosophical text written by Enlightenment thinker and “Father of Liberalism” John Locke. Locke’s Second Treatise is widely viewed as having a place among the most important and influential texts ever written about political theory. It is believed to have been a significant factor in shaping the ideals of both the French and American revolutions.

• Second Treatise of Government on SuperSummary

“The Declaration of Independence” (1776)

“The Declaration of Independence” is one of the founding documents of the United States of America. The text was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson in June of 1776 after the Second Continental Congress appointed him the chair of the Committee of Five (the others were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman), a group designated to draft a statement declaring the American colonies independent from Great Britain. Jefferson based his draft on existing documents such as George Mason’s draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Enlightenment-era texts by authors such as John Locke.