Whose ideas inspired Thomas Jefferson as he drafted the American Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was significantly inspired by the Enlightenment thinkers, particularly john Locke, whose ideas about natural rights, government by consent, and the right to revolution greatly influenced Jefferson's writings. Additionally, the works of philosophers like Montesquieu and Rousseau also shaped his views on liberty and governance. Jefferson emphasized the principles of equality and individual rights, which were central to the Declaration's assertion of independence from British rule.