John Locke and "The Enlightenment"

The U.S. Constitution states that "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, and to institute new Government."

This means that people shouold be treated as if they are created equal, and should have their rights. According to the U.S. Constitution, the government gets it's power from the people. With no people to support it, there would not be a strong and civilized government.