What Is the Meaning of the Grievances in the Declaration?

The Declaration of Independence is the central document of American political life.

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence not only lays out the American political creed, it is also the last word in the argument between Great Britain and the American colonies. Faced with massive debts from the French and Indian War in North America and the Seven Years' War in Europe, Great Britain proposed taxing the American colonists to pay them off. This proposal succeeded in unifying the 13 colonies in a common cause: defending their liberties. The grievances in the Declaration indict King George III, both for his actions against the colonies and for ignoring their pleas for justice.

Abuse of Power

The first 12 grievances outline the king's abuses of executive power against the colonies. By dissolving the elected legislatures and suspending the laws enacted by them, the king deprived American colonists the basics of representative governance. Administration of justice had also been repeatedly obstructed, and judges were arbitrarily appointed with alarming frequency. Even the Great Writ of British common law, the Writ of Habeas Corpus, had been violated, resulting in individuals being illegally imprisoned without being formally charged with a crime. Maintenance of a standing army during peacetime had been imposed upon the colonists without their consent and at their expense.

Unconstitutional Measures

The king, through Parliament, subjected America to a variety of unconstitutional taxes and economic controls, all without the colonists having representation in Parliament's House of Commons. Grievances 13 through 22 deal with these directly. In an effort to pay off war debts, taxes were levied on everything from sugar to tea, and trade was limited or cut off to the rest of the world, forcing the colonists to pay exorbitant prices for necessities. Additionally, many charters were altered or abolished, and the right to a trial by a jury of peers severely limited.

War Atrocities

Grievances 23 through 27 attack the king's violence and cruelty in waging war against his American subjects. By declaring war on the colonists, conscripting and impressing citizens into a war against their own brethern, paying foreign mercenaries to fight on American soil and by inciting and agitating the Indian population to attack the colonists, King George III effectively abdicated his right to an executive position in America.

The Ultimate Grievance

The Declaration's closing charge against the king regards his lack of attention to the colonists' pleas for compensation for past wrongs and resistance to positive changes for the future. Petitions to the government in Great Britain resulted in more and greater injuries. By concluding the grievance section with this final indictment, the writers of the Declaration make their final point: A king who rules as a tyrant has no right to rule a free society, and said society's citizens have the right and duty to declare their independence.

References

• American Institute for Economic Research: A Declaration of Independence from Big Government; Richard M. Ebeling; 2009
• Independence Hall Association: The Declaration of Independence
• National Archives and Records Administration: The Stylistic Artistry of the Declaration of Independence; Stephen E. Lucas; 1989