What enlightenment thinker help shape the political philosophy of the colonist about natural rights?

john Locke was a key Enlightenment thinker who significantly influenced the political philosophy of the American colonists regarding natural rights. His ideas, particularly those articulated in "Two Treatises of Government," emphasized that individuals possess inherent rights to life, liberty, and property, which governments must protect. Locke's concepts of consent and the right to revolt against unjust authority were instrumental in shaping the colonists' views on governance and their pursuit of independence. His philosophy laid the intellectual groundwork for the Declaration of Independence and the broader framework of American democracy.