Select the correct answer. Which document does the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence echo? A. John Locke's Second Treotise of Government B. Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan C. Baron de Montesquleu's The Spirit of Lows D. The US Constitution

## Step 1<br />The question asks us to identify which document the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence echoes. The options provided are John Locke's Second Treatise of Government, Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, Baron de Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws, and the US Constitution.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal" and have certain unalienable rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."<br /><br />## Step 3<br />This concept is a direct echo of John Locke's philosophy, particularly his ideas presented in the Second Treatise of Government. John Locke's philosophy greatly influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States, including Thomas Jefferson, who drafted the Declaration of Independence.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Locke's ideas about natural rights and the social contract are foundational to the Declaration of Independence. The other options, Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan, Baron de Montesquieu's The Spirit of Laws, and the US Constitution, do not directly echo the sentiments expressed in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.