Patriots Unite

In the Declaration of Independence, the American patriots listed "a history of injuries and usurpations" designed to establish "an absolute Tyranny over these states." What specific abuses did the delegates cite?

1. "He has refused his Assent to Laws necessary for the public good."


2. "He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of pressing importance."


3. "He has refused to pass Laws unless people would relinquish the right of Representation."


4. "He has called together legislative bodies at places distant from the depository of their public records."


5. "He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly."


6. "He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected."


7. "He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States."


8. "He has obstructed the Administration of justice."


9. "He has made judges dependent on his Will alone.”


10. "He has erected a multitude of New Offices to harass our people."


11. "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies."



12. "He has affected to render the Military independent of Civil power."


13. "He has subject[ed] us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution."


14. "For quartering armed troops among us."


15. "For protecting them from punishment for Murders."



16. "For cutting off our Trade."

17. "For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent."



18. "For depriving us of the benefits of Trial by Jury."


19. "For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried."


20. "For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province."


21. "For taking away our Charters."

22. "For suspending our Legislatures."


23. "waging War against us"


24. "He has plundered our seas...burnt our towns."


25. "He is...transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries.”

The British army hired German mercenaries to fight the colonists.

26. "He has constrained our fellow Citizens to bear Arms against their Country."

The Crown had forced American sailors (under the Restraining Act of 1775) to serve in the British navy.

27. "He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us."


In the eyes of the American patriots, what rights or liberties had the British Parliament violated?

Parliament seemed intent on slowing the colonies' growth and protecting British economic interests at the colonists' expense. Royal officials had restricted westward expansion, levied taxes without the colonists' consent, and stationed a standing army in the colonies in peacetime. In addition, the Crown had expanded the imperial bureaucracy, made the West a preserve for French Catholics and Indians, and infringed on traditional English liberties, including the right to trial by jury, freedom from arbitrary arrest and trial, freedom of speech and conscience, and the right to freely trade and travel. Parliament had also restricted meetings of legislative assemblies, vetoed laws passed by assemblies, billeted soldiers in private homes, and made royal officials independent of colonial legislatures.

So Obama wants to rewrite the Declaration Of Independence? Then let us, with those usurptions valid today.
For full text of the above www.digitalhistory.uh.edu...