WhenInteractive popup. Assistance may be required. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence, he was not trying to be nice, nor was he trying to be fair. After writing a beautiful introduction outlining the purpose of government, Jefferson moved on to make one big point: the rebellion is entirely King George III’s fault.

The list of grievances reads like a set of criminal charges. Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Click here to view three.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

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 plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

Quick Reflection What strikes you about how these grievances are worded? How do you think King George III reacted when he read these accusations? Reflect on these questions in your notes.

By using the word “he” at the start of each line, Jefferson places all the blame on King George III. The choice is deliberate, and a little unfair. Nowhere does the document mention Parliament, which actually writes the laws.

Furthermore, the charges above are vague and exaggerated. King George looks like one of the worst rulers in history. One can only imagine his response when he received the Declaration (once he calmed down). He might have yelled, "What laws? Swarms of Officers? Really? What towns did I burn?"

Had he done this, King George would have had at least a partial point. For a few of the charges, even historians are not completely sure to what Jefferson is referring.

Other grievances are more reasonable and recognizable. In the middle of the grievance list, Jefferson lists a series of bad laws passed by Parliament that the king approved. When Parliament passes a law, the king must give his royal assent in much the same way that the President of the United States signs a bill into law.

Click here to view some of those grievances and then answer the following question.

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:

   For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us
   For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should
     commit on the Inhabitants of these States
    For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world
    For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent

Quick Question: Which of these acts of “pretended Legislation” do you recognize? Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Click here for the answer.

The first three laws were all part of the Intolerable, or Coercive, Acts passed by Parliament to punish the people of Massachusetts after the Boston Tea Party. Of course, there were a series of taxes Parliament passed without the consent of the colonies, including the Stamp Act of 1765, Declaratory Act of 1766, Townshend Acts of 1767, and the infamous Tea Act 1773 that sparked the little party.

These grievances are much clearer. Whether the grievances are general or specific, overall the Declaration of Independence does a masterful job in accusing King George III of violating the rights of the colonists and grossly abusing the power of government. Click here to read the entire list of grievances.

What If?

One grievance in Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence was deleted during editing. In it, Jefferson blames King George III for permitting slavery in the colonies, saying that “he has waged cruel war against human nature itself.” It would have been the longest and the final grievance on the list. The southern colonies insisted on its removal before they would sign the declaration.

In the following activity, you will categorize a few more of the grievances in the Declaration of Independence. The two categories are “Specific Tyranny” and “General Tyranny.” The charges that relate to clearly recognizable bad actions by the British government go under specific tyranny, and the charges that are vague and not as clear should go under general tyranny.

When Brutus assassinated Julius Caesar during the Roman Empire, he reportedly said, “Sic Semper Tyrannis,” which translates to “Thus Always to Tyrants,” meaning death should always come to tyrants. The Founding Fathers had an affinity for Ancient Rome and knew the phrase well. It became the official state motto of Virginia and appears on the state flag.

When it came time to write the Constitution, they wanted to build plenty of protections so the United States did not repeat the abuses of King George III or Ancient Rome.