The 27 Grievances of the Declaration of Independence
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Grievance #1 of the Declaration of Independence
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What actually pushed the American colonies to declare independence? It wasn’t just one moment, it was a list of 27 specific grievances against King George III that built over time.
In this first video of our 27-part series, Dr. C.C. Borzilleri breaks down the big idea behind the Declaration of Independence and where those grievances come from. From the influence of the Magna Carta to John Locke’s natural rights, the Founders weren’t starting from scratch. They were building on centuries of ideas about freedom, government, and the rule of law.
So what happens when a government stops protecting people’s rights? That question is at the heart of the Declaration and this series is here to unpack every single grievance, one by one.
This video kicks off our Constitution Day Live programming starting September 1. Follow along as we break down the Declaration in a way that actually makes sense.
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Grievance #2 of the Declaration of Independence
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What happens when a government ignores its own laws?
In Grievance 2 of the Declaration of Independence, the colonists call out King George III for refusing to approve important colonial laws and then completely neglecting them. As Dr. Susan Brynne Long explains, this wasn’t just frustrating, it made it nearly impossible for colonial governments to function.
At the core of this grievance is a bigger idea: government exists to serve the people. Influenced by Enlightenment thinking, the colonists believed that when a government stops doing its job, the people have a responsibility to respond.
This wasn’t a one-time complaint either. Thomas Jefferson raised the same issue years earlier, showing just how long this problem had been building and why it became a breaking point in 1776.
This is Part 2 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance in the Declaration of Independence, leading up to Independence Day.
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Grievance #3 of the Declaration of Independence
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Why did the colonists start calling King George III a tyrant? It came down to one thing: representation.
In Grievance 3 of the Declaration of Independence, the colonists push back against British policies that blocked westward expansion and limited representation in colonial governments. Even when new districts were created, they weren’t allowed a voice.
For colonists, this wasn’t just about land, it was about power. More land should mean more representation. Without it, they believed their rights were being ignored.
Thomas Jefferson made it clear: without representation, the people were subject to the unchecked will of the king. That idea helped transform “Farmer George” into something else entirely, the Tyrant King.
This is Part 3 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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Grievance #4 of the Declaration of Independence
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What if your government made it harder for leaders to even meet?
In Grievance 4 of the Declaration of Independence, @SavyPolitics from Utah Valley University explains how royal governors sometimes required colonial legislatures to meet in remote locations instead of their usual capitals.
On the surface, it might seem minor. But the impact was real. Meeting far from population centers made it harder to access records, communicate with constituents, and even gather enough members to function.
Colonists believed this wasn’t random. They saw it as a tactic to pressure legislatures into going along with British policies, especially during moments of political tension. Even if it didn’t happen often, it revealed something bigger: a distant government could manipulate how local power operated.
This is Part 4 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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Grievance #5 of the Declaration of Independence
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What happens when a government shuts down your representatives entirely?
In Grievance #5 of the Declaration of Independence, C. David Carlson of Trinity Academy South Bend explains how King George III dissolved colonial legislatures when they pushed back against British policies.
Colonial assemblies had a long history of self-government, managing local affairs and representing the people. But as tensions grew in the late 1760s and 1770s, those assemblies began coordinating resistance to British taxes. The response from the Crown was clear: shut them down.
Massachusetts was one of the first, but it didn’t stop there. Other colonies faced the same fate, especially as they moved toward unified action through the Continental Congress.
This wasn’t just a political disagreement anymore. Dissolving representative governments signaled something bigger: a shift from conflict over policy to a crisis over power and self-rule.
This is Part 5 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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Grievance #6 of the Declaration of Independence
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What happens when a government disappears completely?
In Grievance 6 of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Mathew Goetz of the White House Historical Association breaks down what it meant when King George III dissolved colonial governments and left the colonies without leadership.
Without functioning governments, colonists were left to defend themselves from both external threats and internal instability. This wasn’t just disorder, it challenged the very purpose of government.
The Founders were influenced by the idea of the social contract, the belief that government exists to protect the people. When that protection fails, the agreement between the people and the government is broken.
By shutting down colonial governments, Jefferson argued that the king violated that contract. And once that happened, the colonists believed they had the right to do something radical: form a new government.
This is Part 6 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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Grievance #7 of the Declaration of Independence
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What happens when a government limits who can move in and where people can go?
In Grievance 7 of the Declaration of Independence, Jennifer Seiter of the UVA Democracy and Capitalism Lab explains how the king restricted immigration and westward expansion, making it harder for people to settle and build new lives in the colonies.
Fewer people meant fewer opportunities. Colonists believed growth brought economic opportunity through trade, labor, and new communities. But British policies, including limits tied to the Proclamation of 1763, kept settlers from moving west and expanding.
By 1776, this wasn’t just about population control. It was about the future. Colonists saw these restrictions as a direct threat to their ability to improve their lives and build something better.
This is Part 7 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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Grievance #8 of the Declaration of Independence
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Can justice really be fair if judges answer to the king?
In Grievance #8 of the Declaration of Independence, Chris Canty, graduate student at George Washington University, explains how King George III blocked laws that would establish independent courts in the colonies.
Colonists wanted judges to serve independently, protected from political pressure. In England, judges could hold office during “good behavior,” helping ensure fair decisions. But the king repeatedly rejected similar protections in the colonies and kept judges dependent on the Crown.
For colonists, this wasn’t just a legal issue. It was proof that they were being treated differently than subjects living in England and denied the same protections under the law.
The fight over independent courts became so important that the principle later appeared in Article III of the U.S. Constitution.
This is Part 8 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.
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