Food for Founding Thought

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."
--Thomas Jefferson

Wanted to circle back once more to Rothbard's excellent work on the growth of libertarianism in Colonial America. He highlights contributions of these individuals as central to the American thought and action by the mid to late 1700s:

1. Algernon Sidney (the duty to rebel when individual liberty is invaded)
2. John Locke (natural rights of the individual and government's sole purpose to protect these rights)
3. John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon a.k.a. "Cato's Letters" (government power as constant threat to liberty; tyranny of the majority)
4. Jonathan Mayhew (government has no authority for mischief w.r.t. liberty; individual right and duty of private judgement)
5. Francois Voltaire (religious liberty, and freedom of press and speech)

The first three were English, Mayhew was a Massachusetts minister, Voltaire was French.

It is impossible to read the key documents generated in the late 1700s that defined the United States, particularly the Declaration, and not see the thoughts of these individuals incorporated nearly verbatim into the narrative.