John Locke greatly influenced both libertarianism and the modern world in his writings published before and after the English Revolution of 1688, especially "A Letter Concerning Toleration" (1667), "Two Treatises of Government" (1689) and "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding" (1690). In the text of 1689, he established the basis of liberal political theory, i.e. that people's rights existed before government; that the purpose of government is to protect personal and property rights; that people may dissolve governments that do not do so; and that representative government is the best form to protect rights.