Wednesday, July 29, 2015

How was the Declaration of Independence an economic, political, and social reaction to British policies?

The Declaration of Independence stated the cause for the dissolution of the relationship between the American colonists and the British government. To answer this question we simply need to analyze the grievances contained in the document and how each grievance relates to the categories of economic, political, and social structure imposed by the government of Great Britain. The grievances are the stated objections or reactions to particular rules imposed by the government. There is an obvious overlap in some categories. I will place them in an organized table format for readability and provide you with a few examples for each category. Once you see the organization structure, adding to the categories will be relatively easy!
Economic
"For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world." This refers to the King and his government keeping the colonies from trading with other European powers, restricting economic growth and opportunity.
"For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent"—or restricting the power to tax and spend tax money on projects in Great Britain in place of improving infrastructure in the colonies, which would enhance the growth of the colonies.
"He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people," meaning that the British destroyed important centers of economic activity and, by doing so, placed the colonists in an economically precarious situation.
Social
"Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies." This refers to the colonists as having come under the authority of the British government, recognizing their sovereign right to impose rules and for the most part doing so without strenuous objection. The colonists generally emulated the social structure and practices of the British until the rules began to violate their personal freedom.
"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury," meaning that the government had violated one of the fundamental protective rights of society: the right to a trial by an impartial jury. The British were able to arrest without cause, hold colonists as prisoners (indefinitely) without charging them with a crime, and then convict them without trial.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands

This describes the restriction of the growth of the colonies and the restriction of technological or labor advantages that come with immigration from foreign countries.
Political
"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"—or the colonists were reacting to the British government imposing taxes and fees on the colonists without representation.
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good," meaning that the King had not allowed, even in the most mundane matters, the colonists to self-govern. This one political issue may have been the fuse that set the powder keg of war to explode.
"For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever." This meant that the British government did not recognize the sovereignty of locally elected legislatures over local matters. This action rendered the political bodies—and to some extent, the administration of government—powerless to act.
As you read the Declaration of Independence, you can read the specific claims the colonists had against the governing authorities and the King. Each claim is a reaction to a specific set of events or actions taken by Great Britain to maintain control and authority over the American colonists.
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/jeffdec.html

https://www.ushistory.org/us/13a.asp

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