Lockean principles of liberty and individual freedoms propelled the American colonists to revolt against British dominion and establish a constitutional republic. Unlike ancient republics, usually empires or monarchies, the Founding Fathers, determined to be governed by their consent instead of the divine right of an absolute ruler, set forth a written covenant to structure their government and safeguard those liberties. Conflicting views of republican democracy led to factionalism, separatism and ultimately, war. Using the war power, the victorious North would embark upon an even more liberal project to reunite the war-torn nation, expand citizenship and individual rights to more of the nation's inhabitants and set the stage for the vast expansion of rights in the 20th Century.