TYRANNY IN THE NORTH AMERICAN COLONIES--

Q: "The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having, in direct object, the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states." Evaluate this accusation made against George III in the Declaration of Independence.

A: The 18th century was a time of great conflict between the North American colonies and Great Britain. The colonists were being taxed to pay for the massive debt that Britain had acquired after being victorious in the French and Indian war, several acts were passed limiting the liberties of the colonists, and Britain even stated that it had the right to "bind the colonists in all cases whatsoever." When the colonists finally created a Declaration of Independence in 1776, they listed King George III as the source of many of their grievances: "The history of the present king of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having, in direct object, the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states." This harsh evaluation of the king is correct because the colonists had been taxed extensively, had their freedom and rights abused quite often, and had even been told that they could be "bound" in any case whatsoever.

After being successful in the French and Indian war, Great Britain had a huge debt to pay off. And what better way to pay off war debt, they reasoned, than to tax the American colonies? It seemed like a perfectly understandable course of action; citizens in England were already being taxed, it seemed only logical to tax the North American colonies as well. So the Sugar Act was passed, which lowered the import duties on sugar, but was enforced by the British. The colonists disliked this new tax, but they paid it anyway, with much moaning and groaning. Still nowhere near paying off their debt, Great Britain passed more acts that taxed the colonists, including the Stamp Act, the Tea Act and the Townshend Acts. Such ludicrous taxes infuriated many of the colonists: why did they now have to pay taxes for such simple things as tea and stamps? It seemed as though they were being milked by the British, and this did not sit well with a man named Samuel Adams.

The leader of a group known as Sons of Liberty, Samuel Adams was an avid supporter of separation from England. Adams held town meetings (which eventually spread throughout the colonies) so as to notify the colonists of what horrible things Great Britain had been responsible for lately, and to generally keep thoughts of rebellion in people's minds. When the king got wind of such meetings, he banned them immediately. But the news was already spreading quickly, and it wouldn't take much more before the colonists revolted. The Quartering Act severely limited the rights of the colonists as well, as it allowed British soldiers to live in the colonists' homes and be given food and a place to rest. The colonists were extremely wary of this act because they believed it was meant for the soldiers to keep watch on them. Also, after the Boston Tea Party (an event in which the colonists dumped all of Britain's tea in a harbor so they wouldn't be taxed for it), Great Britain limited the liberties of Massachusetts (the colony where the event had occurred), going so far as to suspend the colony's legislature. Thus one can plainly observe how the colonists' rights and freedoms were limited by the king of Great Britain.

While the colonists were already feeling trapped, Britain passed another act: the Declaratory Act. This act stated that Parliament had the right to "bind the colonists in all cases whatsoever" and angered many of the colonists. Why was their mother country acting so tyrannical? It seemed like they were prisoners. When the Quebec Act was passed, giving French settlers in that area territory all the way to the Ohio River, the colonists felt even more restricted. Now they couldn't even explore North America farther? The idea seemed insane. When the Battle of Lexington and Concord finally happened, the colonists knew it was time for a revolution. The king had gone too far!

Thus began the American Revolution. The North American colonists held the First Continental Congress, agreeing to boycott all British goods, and the king realized Britain had a war on its hands. Therefore one can clearly see how the statement about the king's intent to establish a tyranny in the North American colonies was true: he had limited the colonists' rights and liberties in every way possible.

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