独立宣言本身就反映了洛克的政治思想(事实上,洛克还曾为独立前的北美某殖民地草拟过一部宪法)。它最著名的一段话是:“我们认为以下真理不证自明:人人生而平等;造物赋予人们一些不可剥夺的权利,其中包括生命、自由和追求幸福的权利;为保障这些权利,人民组建政府,而政府只能经由被治者的同意获得正当权力;任何时候,政府若是开始破坏这些目标,人民就有权改变或废除它,并组建新的政府…(We hold these truth to be self-evident,that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuitof Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted amongMen, deriving their just powersfrom the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Governmentbecomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or toabolish it, and to istitute new Government…)”