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Independence For All
America is hailed as the land of the free and the home of the brave, but this was not always the case. Before becoming an independent state, America was governed by the English Monarchy and King George III. Our country was built on the ideals of freedom and justice, two doctrines that the citizens of the colonies greatly yearned for. There was a strong disconnect between England and the Colonies due to the sheer distance between them. It was as if the Colonists were being governed by a ruler from a different land. The Colonists attempted to disassociate themselves from the King which caused tension and disputes between the two. King George III was known to be a strict and corrupt ruler. He abused his power and denied the colonists their unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Colonists had exhausted all their efforts to correct these issues and came to a point where they could no longer suffer through his antics anymore. They were eager for change. The most important circumstances that brought the colonies to the point of rebellion were the violent actions of the king, the harmful economic policies he put in place, the oppressive and unethical laws he created, and his misuse of the military and its power.
King George III carried out many violent acts against the colonists. In the Declaration of Independence, a grievance against the king was “He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people” (Declaration pg 37).
Under the orders from the King, the English army robbed the colonists, burnt down several of their towns, attacked their ships, wrecked their properties, and massacred people. King George III had begun to wage war on the Colonists, leaving behind a trail of bloodshed and carnage. The pursuit of happiness for the colonists was undoubtedly being violated by the King’s horrendous actions because they could not live peaceful lives. An additional complaint in the declaration was that “He [the King] 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” (Declaration pg 38). The King was sanctioned by any American ship and its crew to be captured. The colonists were then to be treated as slaves and forced to serve in the King’s army. The consequences of this ordinance meant that the colonists were forced to fight against their brothers, friends, and neighbors. This act that King George III enacted was barbaric and cruel. Nothing is more violent than forcing a person to kill their family and fellow citizens. Lastly, it’s written in the declaration that “He [the King] is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete 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” (Declaration pg 37). The King had hired ruthless German mercenary troops and directed them to sail to America to attack and murder the Colonists. His method of choice for any quarrel or objection against him was destruction and executions. These three grievances about the King exhibit how violent he was, and his inability to be a sensible and successful ruler.
Poor economic policies put into place by the King were a major concern with the colonists. They claimed that King George was an inadequate ruler “For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world” (Declaration pg 37). Every single item that the colonists wanted to trade had to be overseen and approved by the King. This gave him complete control over all aspects of the trade, taking away what little jurisdiction the colonists had left. That created a power imbalance and more opportunities for the king to abuse his authority. This economic policy was particularly unfavorable because it created a consortium on all items that were to be traded within the colonies. It negatively affected the colonist’s ability to earn money and provide for themselves. The colonists were also outraged at the King “For imposing taxes on us without our [their] consent” (Declaration pg 37). King George III decided to tax the Colonists without any representation. The colonists had no say whatsoever regarding this policy and were not given the option of having any input over what would be taxed. The King enacted unreasonable economic policies in order to obtain control over the colonists.
Many citizens were angry over the oppressive and unethical laws that the King instituted. In the declaration, a grievance against the king was “For depriving us [the colonists] in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury” (Declaration pg 37). Having a jury for a trial enables any bias to be eliminated, giving the accused person a fair trial. On the historical website Founding.com, it states that “Americans regarded trial by jury as a necessary protection to the rights of individuals against the abuse of power by government.” This is exactly what King George wanted to prevent. Without a jury, he was able to rule all parties guilty and punish them for his personal gain. This law let him maintain power and control over citizens. It mentions in the declaration that “He [the King] has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries” (Declaration pg 36). The Colonists were deeply upset with how King George III had complete power over judges and their salaries in America. If a judge and the King were to disagree with one another or have opposing views on a topic, the king would be able to automatically dismiss the judge. He would also be able to lower the judges’ salaries in an attempt to get them to quit or to manipulate them into siding with him. That is a complete abuse of the law. A second grievance against the king was “For taking away our [the colonist’s] Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments” (Declaration pg 37). The colonists were initially given the ability to have their own “state” laws. These state laws included charters, which were legal documents that outlined the citizen’s rights, privileges, and laws. When King George III expunged the colonist’s charters, they were unable to solve any problems locally. If a legal issue needed to be settled, it would not be done on time or in a prompt manner because the British Parliament was so far away. Taking away the colonist’s ability to make laws and solve them only strengthened the King’s hold on America. The King dissolved the colonial legislature and representative body but then did not allow for a new election to be held. Without a new election, the King would not have any opposing contenders, ensuring that he would stay in power. The colonists were furious because that law gave King George III complete reign over them, leaving them with no constitutional rights.
The king misused the English military forces in multiple ways. One complaint against the King was for how “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures” (Declaration pg 37). King George III ordered the military to be present in the Colonies despite the fact that there was no active war occurring at the time. This was an act of brutality meant to threaten the citizens of the colonies. An army is intended to inhabit areas where there is clear conflict and turmoil. The colonists were not fighting with each other, therefore there was no need for the military’s presence. The King sent his army over to America in spite of the colonists’ protests. He did this not for the colonists’ benefit or to keep them safe, but to spy on them and make sure that any pockets of insurgence would be destroyed and reported back to him. It’s written in the declaration that “He [the King] has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power” (Declaration pg 37). The King had proclaimed that the British military would hold more power than the civilians and the colonial government would. The colonists strongly opposed this law. When an army has more power than the local government, it can become corrupt and essentially turn into a dictatorship. King George III let his army run wild. They could do whatever they pleased without any consequences because no higher court would hold them accountable. A military cannot make positive civilian decisions because they run a strong chance of becoming disreputable. King George III abused the power of his army for his own political aspirations.
The colonists considered the King’s abuse of the law to be the most distressing issue. The King was a malevolent and brutish tyrant. Every single one of his actions was inexcusable, but those pertaining to the law were the most pressing concern for the colonists because it deeply affected their everyday life and permitted the King to continue his abhorrent rule. If all laws were to be in favor of the King, there would be no chance for the colonists suffering to end. The colonists successfully justified their decision to declare independence from the English Crown because they listed in detail each and every way that King George III failed as a ruler. The founding fathers argued in the Declaration of Independence that “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness” (Declaration pg 35). Declaring independence was the start of the colonists fulfilling their duty of abolishing the King’s oppressive rule and continuing on to create a new government around the ideals of liberty and righteousness.
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