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he Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by French philosopher Charles Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu when drafting the Constitution, most notably in connection with the separation of powers. Montesquieu's views and studies of governments led to him to believe that government corruption was probable if a system of government didn't include balance of powers. He conceived the idea of separating government authority into the three major branches: executive, legislative and judicial. This perspective significantly influenced the authors of the Constitution in establishing laws and division of duties, and also in the inclusion of provisions to preserve individual liberties.

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Many of his ideas on social contracts, equality and natural liberties inspired the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Hobbes believed that to enforce law and prevent the chaos of the state of nature, people consented to forming a government. This idea is written into the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, when "We the People" establish a government to do things like "ensure domestic tranquility" and "promote the general welfare." Thomas Hobbes contributed significantly to the idea of natural liberties as well. Hobbes believed that all subjects of a government had the right to defend themselves against, and even overthrow, a government that no longer supported them. This, of course, is the foundational idea behind the Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the United States.

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The Romans praised the virtues of independence, patriotism, and moderation, which were also cornerstones of American society. Cicero truly loved Rome and admired its republican form of government, which he believed was the greatest protector of liberty. The Founders admired Cicero as a steadfast defender of liberty and a deeply philosophical thinker on the ways the government can best preserve our naturally endowed rights and freedoms.  John Adams was especially enamored of Cicero because both men came from non-elite families; Adams was the son of a shoemaker and farmer. He saw Cicero as a model of personal merit, independent of the circumstances of his birth. the Founders viewed Cicero as a hero of freedom and enemies of tyranny.

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Locke’s Second Treatise of Government outlines his views on the origins and structure of a legitimate, constitutionally elected government, and this work would frequently be cited leading up to the original drafting of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. One obvious influence would be the ideas related to natural rights found in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. Locke identified these rights as being "life, liberty, and estate (property)", and argued that such fundamental rights could not be surrendered in the social contract. This theory is stated in the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Locke’s influence extends beyond the establishment of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as seen in the Declaration of Independence, but also extends to the idea that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure the protection and preservation of these natural rights as implied throughout both the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

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Aristotle: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aristotle-politics/
http://www.biography.com/people/aristotle-9188415

John Locke: http://guierlaw.com/john-lockes-influence-on-the-united-states-constitution/
https://fee.org/articles/john-locke-natural-rights-to-life-liberty-and-property/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrMHsBRCIARIsAFgSeI21_i-GyGCxLLRaz6A7ML3bgWmCXjrAxkBTddzOd0Q8CJrZyaMq3XwaAt7JEALw_wcB

Cicero and Ancient Rome:
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-founders-favorite-philosopher-was-cicero/
https://medium.com/s/story/romes-heroes-and-america-s-founding-fathers-6dada32a8885

Thomas Hobbes:
https://www.theclassroom.com/thomas-hobbes-importance-american-government-22001.html

Baron De Montesquieu:
https://education.seattlepi.com/ways-did-baron-de-montesquieu-influence-constitution-united-states-5497.html

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One of his major beliefs was that some people were born to rule and others were born to be ruled. This belief impacted the founding fathers by setting upon a system of elected officials to help guide the government. Aristotle also believed in the separation of powers in a government which led the founding fathers to create three separate branches of power. Aristotle left a strong impact on the Constitution with his idea of "Law of Nature" that was upheld in the Constitution. The natural law which Aristotle believed in are basically laws that have been set up pre-determined by nature.