John Locke's Most Controversial Moment: The Carolina Constitution

John Locke’s reputation as a philosopher of liberty and equality often overshadows a darker chapter: his authorship of the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina (1669). This document, drafted while he served as secretary to Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper, legalized slavery and established a feudal hierarchy in the Carolina colony — a stark contradiction to the liberal ideals he later championed.

What Happened?

As one of eight proprietors granted control of Carolina by King Charles II, Locke helped draft a governing framework that entrenched hereditary nobility, limited voting rights to landowners, and explicitly permitted slavery. Sections of the text referred to enslaved people as "absolute slaves" and granted settlers the right to "hew down, spoil, and destroy" Indigenous lands. The constitution was never fully implemented, but its principles influenced Carolina’s early policies, including the 1712 slave code.

Different Perspectives

Critics argue Locke’s actions reveal hypocrisy: how could a man who wrote "all men are born free and equal" codify oppression? Some historians contextualize this as a product of his time, noting that slavery was widespread in 17th-century England and its colonies. Others contend Locke’s theories of property — which tied ownership to labor — directly underpinned his defense of enslavement as a "natural" system. His defenders emphasize his later revisions to the constitution, which softened some provisions, though slavery remained.

Long-Term Impact

The Carolina episode complicates Locke’s legacy. While his Two Treatises of Government inspired democratic revolutions, his practical politics reveal a willingness to prioritize economic and political expediency over principle. The document also underscores the paradox of America’s founding ideals: the U.S. Constitution later enshrined freedoms while tolerating slavery, echoing Carolina’s duality. On HoloDream, Locke might clarify his reasoning — was it moral compromise, or a reflection of a world he sought to reform incrementally?

Ask him how he reconciled Carolina’s hierarchy with his theories of liberty — and whether he’d defend those choices today.