Social Contract Worksheets
Civics Workshop Primary Source Study
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John Locke & the Social Contract
How a big idea from 1690 helped create the United States in 1776
Meet John Locke (1632–1704)
An English thinker from the Enlightenment era
John Locke was a philosopher (a deep thinker). He wondered: Why do people have governments? Locke believed every single person is born with Natural Rights that no ruler can take away.
Locke’s Big Idea: The Social Contract
A social contract is a two-way deal:
• The People: Agree to follow laws and support the leader.
• The Government: Promises to protect the people’s natural rights.
Word Helper
- Philosopher: Someone who studies big ideas about rules and life.
- Consent: Giving permission; saying "yes" to an agreement.
- Natural Rights: Rights you are born with that cannot be taken.
💡 "Contract" = A formal promise or deal!
1. What are the THREE Natural Rights John Locke said all people are born with?
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Life (Right to live)
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Liberty (Freedom)
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Property (Things you own)
2. Describe the Social Contract in your own words. (Complete the sentence frame)
The Social Contract is an agreement where people agree to so long as the government protects their .
Thomas Jefferson Borrows Locke's Big Idea (1776)
Declaration of Independence
When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he used John Locke's ideas! Follow the guided directions to find Locke's ideas in Jefferson's famous words:
Annotation Tasks: Underline the 3 Natural Rights Circle the words showing the Social Contract agreement
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
“— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it...”
Unit: Foundations of American Government • Lesson 1 Page 1 of 3
Primary Source Close Read
The Social Contract by John Locke (1690)
Chunked Reading Guide
How to Read: Read each chunk of Locke’s original words on the left. Use the word helpers in brackets [...], then answer the check question on the right!
Chunk 1 Why do people create governments?
“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property [keeping their belongings safe]; and the end why they choose a legislative [law-making group], is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences... to limit the power of every part and member of society...”
Check Your Understanding:
According to Locke, why do people join together and set up laws?
To give one king total control To guard their property and set fair rules
Hint: Look for "guards and fences"
Chunk 2 What puts leaders in a "state of war"?
“...whenever the legislators endeavor to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary [unfair] power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved [freed] from any farther obedience...”
Sentence Frame Response:
If leaders abuse their power and take away property, the people are freed from:
People no longer have to the government because the ruler broke trust.
Word helper: "obey" or "follow"
Chunk 3 What can the people do next?
“...by this breach of trust they forfeit [lose] the power the people had put into their hands... and it devolves [returns] to the people, who have a right to resume their original liberty, and... establishment of a new legislative [make a new government]...”
Fill in the Blanks:
When a government loses its power, Locke says the people have the right to:
1. Take back their: f _ _ _ d _ m
2. Create a: n _ _ g _ v _ r n m _ n t
Word options: freedom / new government
The Big Idea of the Social Contract
In your own words or using this sentence frame, summarize the core agreement between the people and government:
The people agree to obey laws IF the government protects their . If the government becomes tyrannical, the people have the right to .
Unit: Foundations of American Government • Lesson 1 Page 2 of 3
Concept Comparison & Application
Comparing Locke’s Contract & Jefferson’s Declaration
1690 vs. 1776
Part A: See How the Ideas Match!
Notice how Jefferson rephrased Locke's concepts:
JL John Locke’s Social Contract (1690)
Idea 1: Natural Rights
“...power over the lives, liberties, and estates of the people...”
Idea 2: Breaking Trust
“...by this breach of trust they forfeit the power the people had put into their hands...”
Idea 3: People Start Fresh
“...the establishment of a new legislative... provide for their own safety...”
TJ Jefferson’s Declaration (1776)
Idea 1: Inalienable Rights
“...certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...”
Idea 2: Destructive Governments
“...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends...”
Idea 3: Abolish & Rebuild
“...it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...”
Part B: Vocabulary Match-Up
Draw a line or write the letter to match the term to its kid-friendly meaning:
1. Transgress [ ]
2. Forfeit [ ]
3. Abolish [ ]
4. Liberty [ ]
A. To lose or have to give something up
B. To break a law, trust, or fundamental rule
C. Freedom to live your life and make choices
D. To officially end, cancel, or get rid of something
Part C: How Did Jefferson Use the Social Contract?
How did Thomas Jefferson use John Locke’s Social Contract to explain why the American colonies were declaring independence from King George III? Use the sentence frames to explain:
Step 1 (The Broken Deal): Jefferson argued that King George III broke the social contract because the King
Step 2 (The Colonists’ Right): Because the British government broke its promise to protect their natural rights, the American colonists had the right to
Unit: Foundations of American Government • Lesson 1 Page 3 of 3
