Locke and Carolina

Abstract

Twice in his life (in 1668–1674 and 1696–1700) John Locke held relatively high government positions. The article gives a brief account of his first office, which included drawing up “The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina” (1669). “Constitutions” presented a structure of a colony, seen as a project of a future civil society. It was a scheme of absolutist aristocratic republic, and of limited democracy of freemen with underlying labor of slaves, serfs, and indentured ser­vants. Confrontation, uncompromising struggle with the Evil, and a wide war for Empire, and World Supremacy, all that deemed to be a divine dispensation on the very eve of the Second Coming.