Ideology includes ideas, concepts, philosophies, and beliefs. Ideology is crucial in revolutions because it shows how ideas influenced people at the time. Ideas determine how people act and tell us what they feel and want. The American Revolution was essentially a war for economic freedom. The main issue was taxation. Just as stated above, the “taxation without representation” phase was a key idea in many revolutions, including the American Revolution. This was the main cause of the colonists' rebellion; they reached as far as the tar and feather tax collectors. Many of them followed the 17th-century English philosopher John Locke in believing that all individuals possessed certain “natural rights” – such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of property – and that it was the government's responsibility to protect them.