Enlightenment thinking from Europe.
The ideas of government formed by the colonists came from the Enlightenment. Writers such as John Locke, Charles Montesquieu, Rene Descartes, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau all influenced the Founding Fathers in their decision making regarding the government. The Enlightenment focused on the rights of the individual and the role of the government to protect those rights. It defined the relationship between the individual and the government as a mutual relationship which ultimately serves the needs and rights of the individual. Under this model, the Constitution was written.
