In 3–5 sentences, compare how Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Simón Bolívar applied ideas taken from John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu to justify political revolutions and create new forms of government in their respective homelands.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drew heavily from John Locke's principles of natural rights and the social contract to justify the American Revolution and frame the Constitution. Jefferson's Declaration of Independence emphasized individual liberties and the right to overthrow a government that does not protect those rights, reflecting Locke's ideas. Meanwhile, James Madison incorporated Montesquieu's concept of separation of powers into the U.S. Constitution, ensuring no single branch of government would dominate. In South America, Simón Bolívar similarly embraced these Enlightenment thinkers, advocating for representative government and civil liberties while also emphasizing the importance of checks and balances, aiming to liberate nations from colonial rule and establish new democratic governments.