The Roads to the Declaration of Independence….

In this detailed explanation of the reasons behind the American colonies’ declaration of independence, Belle unpacks the commonly oversimplified narrative that the revolution was primarily about taxes. Drawing directly from the Declaration of Independence, she highlights that taxes are mentioned only once among 27 grievances against King George III. Instead, the Declaration reads more like a breakup letter outlining numerous abuses and tyrannies inflicted by the British Crown on the colonies. These include the king’s refusal to approve local laws, dissolving representative assemblies, obstructing immigration and naturalization, interfering with the judiciary, imposing standing armies without consent, quartering troops, restricting trade, depriving colonists of trial by jury, and inciting domestic violence and insurrections. Fighting had already been ongoing for a year before the Declaration was signed, showing that the grievances were longstanding and severe. The king’s actions were seen as systematic attempts to deny the colonies self-governance, justice, and basic rights, culminating in a loss of protection and open warfare. Belle emphasizes that understanding these multiple and complex reasons enriches the common understanding of why the colonies sought independence, moving beyond the simplistic “taxation” explanation to a broader view of tyranny and oppression.