List of Grievances
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One purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare that George III is no longer sovereign.
One purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare that King George III is no longer sovereign, portraying him as an enemy with a long list of grievances against him.
From
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Episodes presented in 4K UHD on supported devices. Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and...
List of Grievances
Clip: Special | 1m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
One purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare that King George III is no longer sovereign, portraying him as an enemy with a long list of grievances against him.
From
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪ Taylor: The Declaration of Independence, we remember it, primarily, from its opening preamble, the most famous sentences in our history, quoted ever since as a mandate for expanding liberty for other people.
But most of the document is something else.
It is a list of crimes allegedly committed by the King.
That means that when the Patriot leaders decide that they want independence, then they must persuade their people in the colonies, now states, that the King has forfeited his just authority.
The purpose of the Declaration of Independence is to declare the King is no longer sovereign.
Narrator: Throughout history, most people had been subjects, living under authoritarian rule.
"All experience hath shewn," Jefferson wrote, "that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable."
George III himself, not the Parliament, was now the enemy.
The Declaration denounced him as "unfit to be the ruler of a free people," guilty of 18 "injuries and usurpations," all meant to establish, it read, "absolute tyranny."
It charged that he had invaded "the rights of the people," sent "swarms of officers to harass" them, imposed a standing army in peacetime, levied taxes without the colonists' consent, and was now waging war against them.
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Clip: Special | 2m 58s | Richard Henry Lee proposes a formal resolution declaring independence from Britain. (2m 58s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 24s | Jefferson uses charged language in the final grievance listed in the Declaration of Independence. (1m 24s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 57s | Colonial leaders know that France’s support is essential, but they must sever ties with Britain. (1m 57s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 47s | Revolutionary leaders realize they need popular support and begin to address everyday concerns. (1m 47s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 17s | King George believes this American insurrection could lead to the end of the British empire. (1m 17s)
The Meaning of the Declaration to Different Groups
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Clip: Special | 1m 28s | Different groups begin to wonder what “all men are created equal” means for them. (1m 28s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 34s | The Preamble addresses the concept of natural rights. (1m 34s)
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Clip: Special | 1m 7s | Many Loyalists and some other Americans believe Thomas Paine’s ideas go too far. (1m 7s)
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Clip: Special | 2m 40s | After ratification, the Declaration is publicly read across the former colonies. (2m 40s)
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Clip: Special | 4m 11s | Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense, an explosive pamphlet that attacks monarchy. (4m 11s)
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Episodes presented in 4K UHD on supported devices. Corporate funding for THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION was provided by Bank of America. Major funding was provided by The Better Angels Society and...