Bailyn, Bernard. The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992.

In The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, Bernard Bailyn explores how leaders of the American Revolution engaged with the ideas of John Locke, particularly his theories of natural rights, the social contract, and the right of rebellion. Bailyn highlights that Locke’s influence was central to the colonists’ understanding of political authority and individual liberty. However, he also shows that Locke’s ideas were not adopted wholesale; instead, they were interpreted through the lens of colonial experiences and blended with other intellectual traditions.

Bailyn emphasizes that Locke’s writings, especially his Two Treatises of Government, provided the revolutionaries with a philosophical framework for justifying resistance to perceived tyranny. Locke’s concept of natural rights—life, liberty, and property—became foundational to the revolutionary rhetoric, as did his insistence that governments derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed. Bailyn also notes that Locke’s emphasis on the right to overthrow unjust governments resonated deeply in the colonies, where fears of centralized power and corruption ran high.

At the same time, Bailyn points out that Locke was just one part of a broader intellectual tapestry. The revolutionaries also drew from Enlightenment thinkers, classical republicanism, and English constitutionalism, merging these influences into a distinctly American ideology. Bailyn’s treatment of Locke shows how his ideas were adapted to serve the particular political and social needs of the American colonies.

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