why does RaggedRight and indentfirst cause over and underfull problems?

Question

THere is a document that I am playing around with that has the following code that does not produce errors.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
\doublespacing

\begin{document}

\section{Introduction}

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's theories provided a foundation for the American Revolution, influencing key documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His emphasis on natural rights, property ownership, and government by consent resonated with the American colonists' desire for independence and self-governance. By examining Locke's impact on American economic thought and political structures, we can better understand how his ideas helped to shape the new nation. John Locke was an English thinker from 1632 to 1704. His writings, especially the \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, were key for the American Revolution and the new country's government and economy. Locke's emphasis on natural rights, the social contract, and the right to revolt against unjust rulers influenced the American colonists' demands for independence and their vision for a new government.

\section{Economic Impact}

In economics, Locke's idea of property rights was really important. In his \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, Locke said that people have a natural right to own property if they work for it. This idea was a big part of American economic thought, shown in the Declaration of Independence's right to \enquote{life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,} where owning property is very important. Locke's ideas supported a market-based economy with strong property rights, which are big parts of the American economic system.

Locke's property rights theory helped create a system where individuals could freely trade and accumulate wealth. This system encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to economic growth. The emphasis on property rights also provided a sense of security for individuals, knowing their hard-earned assets were protected by law. This security was vital for the economic development of the new nation.

\section{Political Influence}

Locke's idea of government by the people's consent was very new and had a big influence on America's founders. Locke said that real political power comes from the people's consent, and they can remove bad rulers. This idea is clear in the Declaration of Independence and America's democracy, with its focus on representation and limited government power. The U.S. Constitution's start, \enquote{We the People,} shows Locke's idea that government power comes from the people.

Locke's influence is evident in the structure of American government, which includes checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This structure reflects Locke's belief that government should be limited and accountable to the people. The emphasis on individual rights and freedoms in the Bill of Rights also echoes Locke's philosophy, ensuring that the government cannot infringe on citizens' natural rights.

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's thoughts on property and governance not only provided the ideological basis for independence but also influenced the practical aspects of building a new nation. By emphasizing the protection of property rights and the necessity of government accountability, Locke's ideas were pivotal in forming a democratic society that values individual freedoms.

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent. These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} More recent studies say Locke was important but there were also other influences on the founders' ideas.

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.

\section{Analysis and Conclusion}

I agree with historians about Locke's big impact, but I think it's important to see that the founders used and changed his ideas rather than just copying them. The American system of federalism, for example, goes beyond Locke's ideas by splitting power between state and national governments. Also, while Locke's property rights ideas were important, the American economy developed its own special traits over time.

In conclusion, \underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} His influence can be seen in important American ideas like private property protections, representative democracy, and limited government power. While other thinkers and events also played big roles, Locke's help in the intellectual roots of America is very important.

\end{document}

However, when I add code that adds the \RaggedRight command and the indentfirst and ragged2e packages, I get overfull and underfull warnings.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
\RaggedRight
\doublespacing
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}


\begin{document}

\section{Introduction}

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's theories provided a foundation for the American Revolution, influencing key documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His emphasis on natural rights, property ownership, and government by consent resonated with the American colonists' desire for independence and self-governance. By examining Locke's impact on American economic thought and political structures, we can better understand how his ideas helped to shape the new nation. John Locke was an English thinker from 1632 to 1704. His writings, especially the \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, were key for the American Revolution and the new country's government and economy. Locke's emphasis on natural rights, the social contract, and the right to revolt against unjust rulers influenced the American colonists' demands for independence and their vision for a new government.

\section{Economic Impact}

In economics, Locke's idea of property rights was really important. In his \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, Locke said that people have a natural right to own property if they work for it. This idea was a big part of American economic thought, shown in the Declaration of Independence's right to \enquote{life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,} where owning property is very important. Locke's ideas supported a market-based economy with strong property rights, which are big parts of the American economic system.

Locke's property rights theory helped create a system where individuals could freely trade and accumulate wealth. This system encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to economic growth. The emphasis on property rights also provided a sense of security for individuals, knowing their hard-earned assets were protected by law. This security was vital for the economic development of the new nation.

\section{Political Influence}

Locke's idea of government by the people's consent was very new and had a big influence on America's founders. Locke said that real political power comes from the people's consent, and they can remove bad rulers. This idea is clear in the Declaration of Independence and America's democracy, with its focus on representation and limited government power. The U.S. Constitution's start, \enquote{We the People,} shows Locke's idea that government power comes from the people.

Locke's influence is evident in the structure of American government, which includes checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This structure reflects Locke's belief that government should be limited and accountable to the people. The emphasis on individual rights and freedoms in the Bill of Rights also echoes Locke's philosophy, ensuring that the government cannot infringe on citizens' natural rights.

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's thoughts on property and governance not only provided the ideological basis for independence but also influenced the practical aspects of building a new nation. By emphasizing the protection of property rights and the necessity of government accountability, Locke's ideas were pivotal in forming a democratic society that values individual freedoms.

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent. These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} More recent studies say Locke was important but there were also other influences on the founders' ideas.

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.

\section{Analysis and Conclusion}

I agree with historians about Locke's big impact, but I think it's important to see that the founders used and changed his ideas rather than just copying them. The American system of federalism, for example, goes beyond Locke's ideas by splitting power between state and national governments. Also, while Locke's property rights ideas were important, the American economy developed its own special traits over time.

In conclusion, \underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} His influence can be seen in important American ideas like private property protections, representative democracy, and limited government power. While other thinkers and events also played big roles, Locke's help in the intellectual roots of America is very important.

\end{document}

I'm not sure why this is, but I'm trying to make my own document template that has left justified text and auto indents, and if anyone could help me remedy the problem, I would be so grateful. Have a great day!

Answer 1

The fact that the problem occurs together with indentfirst is more of a coincidence. The same problem can also occur without this package (and even without paragraph indentation).

ragged2e uses a kind of ragged zone, within the line break should happen. The defaults for that zone depend on the command you are using, e.g., for \RaggedRight it is 2em. If you have a look into the overfull places, you see, e.g.

Here the Locke's cannot be hyphenated inside the ragged zone and if the whole word is moved to the next line the line break would also be outside the ragged zone.

But ragged2e also provides lengths to configure that ragged zone. These are described in section 3.2 of the user manual, where you can also find the defaults. For \RaggedRight you can increase value \RaggedRightRightskip (defaults to 0pt plus 2em), e.g.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
\setlength{\RaggedRightRightskip}{0pt plus 2.5em}% Must be before using \RaggedRight
% \setlength{\RaggedRightParindent}{0.5in}% see the note in the answer text

\RaggedRight
\doublespacing
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}% better use \RaggedRightParindent as shown above

\begin{document}

\section{Introduction}

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's theories provided a foundation for the American Revolution, influencing key documents like the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. His emphasis on natural rights, property ownership, and government by consent resonated with the American colonists' desire for independence and self-governance. By examining Locke's impact on American economic thought and political structures, we can better understand how his ideas helped to shape the new nation. John Locke was an English thinker from 1632 to 1704. His writings, especially the \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, were key for the American Revolution and the new country's government and economy. Locke's emphasis on natural rights, the social contract, and the right to revolt against unjust rulers influenced the American colonists' demands for independence and their vision for a new government.

\section{Economic Impact}

In economics, Locke's idea of property rights was really important. In his \textit{Second Treatise of Government}, Locke said that people have a natural right to own property if they work for it. This idea was a big part of American economic thought, shown in the Declaration of Independence's right to \enquote{life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,} where owning property is very important. Locke's ideas supported a market-based economy with strong property rights, which are big parts of the American economic system.

Locke's property rights theory helped create a system where individuals could freely trade and accumulate wealth. This system encouraged innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to economic growth. The emphasis on property rights also provided a sense of security for individuals, knowing their hard-earned assets were protected by law. This security was vital for the economic development of the new nation.

\section{Political Influence}

Locke's idea of government by the people's consent was very new and had a big influence on America's founders. Locke said that real political power comes from the people's consent, and they can remove bad rulers. This idea is clear in the Declaration of Independence and America's democracy, with its focus on representation and limited government power. The U.S. Constitution's start, \enquote{We the People,} shows Locke's idea that government power comes from the people.

Locke's influence is evident in the structure of American government, which includes checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. This structure reflects Locke's belief that government should be limited and accountable to the people. The emphasis on individual rights and freedoms in the Bill of Rights also echoes Locke's philosophy, ensuring that the government cannot infringe on citizens' natural rights.

\underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} Locke's thoughts on property and governance not only provided the ideological basis for independence but also influenced the practical aspects of building a new nation. By emphasizing the protection of property rights and the necessity of government accountability, Locke's ideas were pivotal in forming a democratic society that values individual freedoms.

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent. These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} More recent studies say Locke was important but there were also other influences on the founders' ideas.

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.

\section{Analysis and Conclusion}

I agree with historians about Locke's big impact, but I think it's important to see that the founders used and changed his ideas rather than just copying them. The American system of federalism, for example, goes beyond Locke's ideas by splitting power between state and national governments. Also, while Locke's property rights ideas were important, the American economy developed its own special traits over time.

In conclusion, \underLine{John Locke's ideas on property rights and government by consent really shaped the economic and political beginnings of the United States. These ideas are still important in America today.} His influence can be seen in important American ideas like private property protections, representative democracy, and limited government power. While other thinkers and events also played big roles, Locke's help in the intellectual roots of America is very important.

\end{document}

would break the critical line after on and before Locke's:

But note, that paragraphs without critical line breaks can also be changed, when you increase \RaggedRightRightskip. So you should play a bit with the value after finishing the authoring process. Maybe 0pt plus 2.1em would already be enough and give better results, maybe 0pt plus 4em would be better. This is nothing someone can say a-priori.

BTW: The same section of the ragged2e user manual states:

\parindent is the indent of the first line of a paragraph and should be set to 0pt, since indented lines in ragged text do not look good.

BTW: I you always want to use \parindent > 0pt with \RaggedRight, you should set \RaggedRightParindent to that value before using \RaggedRight, similar as shown for \RaggedRightRightskip and noted as comment in the example above.

And as Mico already told: Generally using microtype is often the first try to fix overfull and underfull \hbox issues. Sometimes this is already enough, sometimes not. There are other possible non ragged2e related solutions like adding extra hyphenation rules or explicitly specifying allowed hyphenation points of a single word or changing \emergencystretch. See, e.g. What does "overfull hbox" mean? for a bunch of links to more information about those possibilities.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why this is.

The overfull lines aren't due, per se, to the use of the indentfirst package. The \RaggedRight instruction plays a role only insofar as it allows less flexibility at the line-breaking stage compared with either full justification or \raggedright.

The overfull lines, then, are due to the combination of a particular value of \parindent (here: 0.5in, which is actually quite generous) and the presence of words -- such as "Locke's" in the paragraph that starts with "Other founding fathers" -- which LaTeX doesn't hyphenate. As you've (re)discovered, when \RaggedRight is in effect, TeX has to make a trade-off between two (minor) evils: either allow a mildly overfull line or force the word in question (here: "Locke's") to the next line and create a rather underfull-looking line that ends with "drew on".

What to do? I suggest you also load the microtype package, which introduces additional degrees of (typesetting) freedom -- often (but not always) helping to avoid overfull lines.

Here are the first two lines of the previously-mentioned paragraph if microtype is not loaded:

And here are the same two lines of the paragraph if microtype is loaded:

If loading the microtype package doesn't solve all overfull-line problems, you may need to re-write parts of the paragraphs that are still causing problems. For instance, if one replaces "like James Madison" with "such as James Madison", the overfull-pararaph issue disappears (by pushing the word "Locke's" to the next line) even without loading microtype.

---

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper]{article}

\usepackage[american]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{ragged2e} % for '\RaggedRight' macro
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[showframe,margin=1.0in]{geometry}

\usepackage{unicode-math}
\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
%%\doublespacing % is already in effect (see above)

\RaggedRight
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}

\usepackage{microtype} % <-- new

\usepackage{hyperref} % it's usually a good idea to load this package *last*

\begin{document}

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent. These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\end{document} 

Answer 3

Besides loading microtype, you can also use a “local” adjustment to the \rightskip, so as to widen the ragged zone for a single paragraph rather than trying to adjust it for the whole document.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper,draft]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
%\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
%\doublespacing
\RaggedRight
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}

\newcommand{\fixpar}[1]{%
  \begingroup
  \rightskip=\glueexpr\RaggedRightRightskip+0pt plus #1em\relax
  \par
  \endgroup
}


\begin{document}

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. 
For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when 
drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on 
natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's 
thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas 
and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, 
also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They 
wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected 
individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent. 
These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's 
philosophy on the foundation of the United States.\fixpar{0.25}

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, 
but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian 
Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} 
that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} 
More recent studies say Locke was important but there were also other 
influences on the founders' ideas.

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, 
the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like 
Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development 
of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. 
Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent 
remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings 
of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.\fixpar{0.3}

\end{document}

With some trial and error, you can find the minimal factor that allows for typesetting without overfull boxes. The “Locke” case needs 0.25, the “Nonetheless” case needs 0.3.

Using \fixpar makes it easy to find the places where it is used. Of course, this should be added only when the document is in final form as far as the text is concerned. Changes in the wording might make the adjustment useless (and perhaps bad). If you replace the definition of \fixpar with

\newcommand{\fixpar}[1]{}

you return to the “virgin state” where no adjustment is made. Remember to remove the draft option for the final version.

Note. I removed \doublespacing because it just makes for harder reading and doesn't influence the paragraphing. Add it back if your institution really wants it. Possibly try \oneandhalfspacing instead, in order to minimize the damage done to your readers.

Version with microtype and no \fixpar

The fixes for this case are a bit more complex: a couple of \linebreak commands need to be added, besides one \fixpar.

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper,draft]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
%\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
%\doublespacing
\RaggedRight
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}

\newcommand{\fixpar}[1]{%
  \begingroup
  \rightskip=\glueexpr\RaggedRightRightskip+0pt plus #1em\relax
  \par
  \endgroup
}


\begin{document}

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. 
For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when 
drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on 
natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's 
thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas 
and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, 
also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They 
wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected 
individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent.\linebreak
These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's 
philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, 
but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian 
Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} 
that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} 
More recent studies \linebreak say Locke was important but there were also other 
influences on the founders' ideas.\fixpar{0.5}

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, 
the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like 
Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development 
of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. 
Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent 
remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings 
of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.

\end{document}

With justification

If you can, use standard justification. You see that no bad paragraphs are made (at least for the ones considered here).

\documentclass[12pt,letterpaper,draft]{article}

\usepackage[
    american
]{babel}
\usepackage{csquotes}
%\usepackage[doublespacing]{setspace}
\usepackage{lua-ul}
%\usepackage{ragged2e}
\usepackage{unicode-math}
\usepackage{indentfirst}
\usepackage[
    showframe,
    margin=1.0in
]{geometry}
\usepackage{microtype}
\usepackage{hyperref}

\setmainfont{Times New Roman}

% Final Settings
%\doublespacing
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in}

\begin{document}

\section{Historical Evidence}

Primary sources from America's founding time show Locke's big influence. 
For example, Thomas Jefferson was influenced by Locke's ideas when 
drafting the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson's emphasis on 
natural rights and the social contract directly mirrors Locke's 
thoughts. This shows how much the founders valued Locke's ideas 
and used them in making the new country.

Other founding fathers, like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, 
also drew on Locke's theories when designing the Constitution. They 
wanted to create a government that balanced power and protected 
individual rights, reflecting Locke's belief in government by consent.
These historical connections highlight the profound impact of Locke's 
philosophy on the foundation of the United States.

\section{Historiographical Perspectives}

Historians mostly agree on Locke's big impact on American thought, 
but they argue about how big and what kind of impact it was. Historian 
Carl Becker said in his book \textit{The Declaration of Independence} 
that the Declaration was mostly \enquote{Locke and not much else.} 
More recent studies say Locke was important but there were also other 
influences on the founders' ideas.

Some scholars argue that while Locke's ideas were foundational, 
the founders also drew on other Enlightenment thinkers like 
Montesquieu and Rousseau. These thinkers contributed to the development 
of American political thought, providing a broader intellectual context. 
Nonetheless, Locke's emphasis on natural rights and government by consent 
remains a central theme in understanding the philosophical underpinnings 
of the American Revolution and the formation of the United States.

\end{document}