PART+2+Grievances+Against+George+III

What did the colonists accuse the British of doing?



The colonists stated that although they were also entitled to the basic unalienable rights to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness", the British government was ** not allowing them to exercise these rights. ** On top of this, the colonists said that the British were **// unjustified //** in exercising such power because it was **not their place to do so**. Following the 'Locke' model: 2. governments then derive their authority from the **__consent__** of men 3. a government //needs// to have the **best interests of 'the governed'** in mind 4. if a government __oversteps its boundaries__, and **__becomes oppressive__**, it is the **//responsibility//** of men to **//__replace__//** it.
 * 1. men //allow// governments to happen **

Though this logical assessment easily justified a revolution, the writers of the declaration were **hesitant to make it their only reasoning**. They believed that a long-established government should not be forgone for the sake of //'light and transient'// inconsequential causes. That is why **__the second part of the Declaration of Independence includes a meticulous list of all the colonists' grievances against Parliament and the British Crown.__** By presenting such a history of '**//abuses and usurpations//**' the Declaration-writers aim to show that the British government was ** nothing more than an absolute tyranny ** that needed to be overthrown to provide future security for the colonies.

List of grievances, from the //Declaration of Independence//
 * 1. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.**

He has refused to accept laws that are necessary for the greater good of the colony.


 * 2. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.**

He has forbidden the governors to pass legislation that would deal with immediate issue within colonies, without his express permission. In doing so, he has forced governors to become powerless, as he has neglected to attend to the political needs of the colonies.


 * 3. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.**

He has refused to pass other laws that would benefit the colonies, unless those people agree to give up their right of representation within the legislative branch.


 * 4. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.**

He has taken underhand measures to ensure that representatives of the colonies within the legislature are unable to disagree with him, by holding meetings in places that are 'unusual, uncomfortable, and distant'.


 * 5. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.**

He has dissolved the Representative Houses for objecting to his invasions of the rights of the people.


 * 6. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.**

After dissolving the Houses, he has also prevented others from being elected. This in turn, has caused the State to become vulnerable to external and internal rebellions, as the people have been left with no functional government.


 * 7. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.**

He has moved to unfairly limit the population of states, and to prevent immigration into the states


 * 8. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.**

He has interfered in the judicial process by refusing to acknowledge laws that would give authority to the Judiciary Powers.


 * 9. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.**

He has made judges dependent on his personal favor, for the security of their job and the size of their paycheck.


 * 10. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.**

He has created a multitude of new offices (within the government) and used this as an excuse to harass current officers, and disrupt the efficiency of the government.


 * 11. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.**

In peace time, he has maintained a standing army within the colonies, without the consent of the legislatures.


 * 12. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.**

He has exempted the military from the same laws as normal citizens and rendered them superior to civil power.


 * 13. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:**

He has combined with others (Parliament) to force into compliance with jurisdiction that goes against the constitution. He has not acknowledged the validity of laws passed by the colonies, and has given his consent to acts of 'pretended legislation' passed by the British Parliament.


 * 14. For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:**

He has forced the colonies to house, feed, and accommodate large bodies of troops among them


 * 15. For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:**

He has protected members of the military from being persecuted for crimes against colonists, by trying them by Martial law.


 * 16. For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:**

He has interfered in the economic relations of the colonies with the rest of the world. He has prevented them from trading with any non-British merchants.


 * 17. For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:**

He has taxed the colonies unfairly, and without their knowledge or consent.


 * 18.** **For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:**

He has not allowed the colonists the right of 'Trial by a jury of peers'


 * 19. For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:**

He has subjected the colonists to Martial law, and held the trials outside of the states. He has allowed colonists to be tried for minor or false offenses.


 * 20. For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies**

He has not subjected neighboring provinces to the same laws as have been established in the colonies and set up a 'random' system of government, making the colonies susceptible to the same treatment.


 * 21. For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:**

He has taken away the charters, laws, and form of the government. He has incapacitated the colonial governments.


 * 22. For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.**

He has forgone the legislature of the colonies in favor of Parliament, claiming that Parliament has the power to supersede all colonial authority.


 * 23. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.**

By declaring war against the colonies he has relinquished his power over them.


 * 24. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.**

He has exploited the resources of the colonies and brought direct harm to the lives of the people.


 * 25. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.**

He has ordered men to commit cruel acts of death, desolation, and tyranny against the colonists; barbaric behavior that is unfitting for a ruler.


 * 26. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.**

He has forcefully recruited colonists taken from their ships to side with the British, and to fight against their friends and family.


 * 27. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.**

He has been the cause for internal rebellion and has actively sought to pitt the colonists against the Native Americans.

""In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.""

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