Grievances Against the King, Part 2: Oppression & War

1 of 9

What famous grievance relates to the slogan "No Taxation without Representation"?

"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent."

What economic grievance was related to international commerce?

"For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world," referring to the Navigation Acts.

What legal right did the Declaration accuse the King of denying colonists?

"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury."

What complaint was made about where colonists were sent for trials?

"For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences," which denied them a trial by a jury of their peers in their own colony.

How did the King allegedly wage war against the American colonies?

The Declaration states, "He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people."

What controversial type of soldiers did the King use against the colonists?

Large armies of foreign mercenaries (German soldiers known as Hessians) to fight against the colonists.

What did the Declaration accuse the King of inciting among the colonists themselves?

"He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us," referring to encouraging enslaved people to rise up against their masters in exchange for freedom.

What did the colonists state they had done in response to "every stage of these Oppressions"?

They had "Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms," but their repeated petitions were ignored or answered with more injury.

What did the Declaration call King George III due to these actions?

It labeled him "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."