Key documents

Declaration of Independence (1776): Drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration justifies the separation from Britain in explicitly Lockean terms. "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." The document then lists grievances against George III demonstrating he had violated those rights, justifying revolution.

U.S. Constitution (1787) and Bill of Rights (1791): Established a federal republic with separation of powers (Montesquieu), checks and balances, and protected individual rights. The first peacetime, large-scale Enlightenment government in practice.