important people - unit 1 va us govt

thomas hobbes

• believed that people were inherently wicked and selfish

• Thinks that people gave up their individual sovereignty in exchange for peace and order provided by the state

• Helped to create the ideas of popular sovereignty and limited government

john locke

• Believed that people are born with 3 natural rights - life, liberty, and property

• Believed in the idea of limited government that relies entirely on the consent of the governed

• Government has legitimacy because the people give it authority, not God

baron montisque

• believed in a separation of powers to protect people’s freedoms

• Influenced the idea of checks and balances

george mason

• was responsible for the Virginia Declaration of Rights

• Stated that Virginians should have certain rights including freedom of religion and freedom of the press

thomas jefferson

• wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

• He believed that all people should be free to worship however they wanted

• This was the first time that religious freedom was protected by law

• This also became part of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution

james madision

• who later became the 4th President of of the US, is considered the “Father of the Constitution”

• He wrote the “Virginia Plan” during the Constitutional Convention, which proposed much of what became our national government

• He proposed a federal government with 3 separate branches:

  • Legislative 

  • Executive

  • Judicial

• He also wrote much of the Bill of Rights

rousseau

• believed that “All Men are Created Equal”

• Did not believe in rights for women, slaves, or people who did not own land