Influenced by the philosophical reasoning of the Enlightenment philosopher John Locke, Jefferson's text is expressed in rational terms. Jefferson explains that men are created equal by nature and are endowed "with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These three rights are slight modifications of rights described by Locke in his "Letter Concerning Toleration" of 1689 and his 1693 Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Jefferson continues by stating that power is vested in governments by their subjects, and such governments can be overthrown should they be deemed abusive by their subjects.
Jefferson's historic document makes reference to spiritual concepts, rooted in deistic principles. While the Declaration refers to "God" as the "Creator" of men, Jefferson's conception of God was influenced by prevailing notions of divine agency. God was considered to be akin to a watchmaker, who had created the world to operate in an orderly an efficient way. Not only did the Declaration facilitate the colonists' break from British authority, but it also stands as evidence of their break from established religious conventions. According to John Lachs and Robert B. Talisse, authors of "American Philosophy: An Encyclopedia," the founding fathers considered "a law-governed creation with a non-intervening deity were both morally and rationally superior to the personalist theology of the churches."
Declaring that all men are created equal, Jefferson's document associates property possession with citizenship and political participation. During this early American era, slavery existed throughout the colonies, and women did not enjoy a right to vote. Scholar William J. Coburn explains that "while the American Declaration of Independence proclaimed equality for all its citizens, only those individuals who were defined as white, propertied men were permitted to vote in the new American democracy."
The Declaration of Independence not only contains a firm rejection of British authority but also represents a solicitation for foreign aid. In order to win support for their cause, particularly from the French, American colonists needed to provide irrevocable evidence of their commitment to the cause of freedom. For this reason, Jefferson referred to the King's "long train of abuses and usurpations."