A committee of five men was chosen. Thomas Jefferson became the third president of the United States. His strong beliefs in individuals rights were the motivating factor behind the newly formed United States breaking away from Great Britain. He was one of the five men and he was chosen to write the draft of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was very articulate. He was greatly influenced by John Locke who was an English philosopher who had humanist ideas and he also believed in conscious thinking whether it was spiritual or material. When Thomas Jefferson started writing the Declaration of Independence he started it off with “We the People”, making no reference to God. Part of the purpose of the United States Declaration of Independence was to set up the government’s role in religious affairs and the Declaration of Independence was to have no mention of any religious influence. Jefferson also felt that the government should be limited in its involvement with the people and their religion, that there should be no mentioned of religion about any governmental decision and no government influence where the people’s religion is