The Colonists’ Complaints

The Declaration of Independence is best known for its first three paragraphs which contain an eloquent discussion of natural rights and the relationship between people and their government.

However, the majority of this document is essentially a laundry list of complaints against the King and Parliament.

To make these grievances easier to digest, I have reviewed all 27 items in the Declaration and rewrote them in the most plain modern English.

I recommend you pay attention to the order these grievances are in. It will surprise some how far down the list ‘taxation without representation’ actually falls.

Take a close look. Is there anything that you think is strangely absent from the list?

OK, here are the (official) reasons the colonists absolved themselves of all allegiance to the British Crown:

1. The King refused to let the colonists pass basic laws.
2. He closed down the colonial governments.
3. He threatened to only pass laws if the colonists gave up their ability to participate in his government.
4. He made representatives of the people meet at times and in places that were nearly impossible to get to.
5. He shrugged off legitimate complaints.
6. His dissolution of the Government prevented the correction of economic problems and left the colonies open for invasion.
7. The King stopped the colonists from being able to attract new settlers to the colonies.
8. He refused to appoint judges, hurting the rule of law.
9. The judges that were appointed were paid by the King, and therefore did what he wanted instead of what was right and fair.
10. He made pointless offices as a reason to send people to North America just to give the colonists trouble.
11. He gave dictatorial power to Generals that used the military to suppress cities.
12. He filled the streets with a police force whose procedures they had no control over.
13. The King worked with Parliament to create laws that are unconstitutional.
14. Instead of putting soldiers in forts, they were stationed in homes.
15. When these soldiers committed crimes, they were protected from punishment.
16. The King and Parliament cut off our trade with the rest of the world.
17. They implemented taxation without representation.
18. They took away the benefits of a trial by jury.
19. They made up crimes and took citizens all the way across the Atlantic Ocean for the trial.
20. They set up Quebec with French laws while expanding its territory all the way to the Midwest which seemed to be an example of what to expect in the future.
21. They took away the Charters which created the colonies, ending the long tradition of colonists controlling their own affairs.
22. They claimed to control all of the laws in all situations.
23. The King had proven he was no longer the colonies’ leader by starting a war against the citizens.
24. His war destroyed local communities.
25. He hired a bunch of German soldiers to come to North America and kill civilians.
26. He captured citizens and forced them to fight against their friends and family.
27. He turned the people against themselves and he convinced the Native Americans to attack colonists.

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