The Indictment — Military, Judicial, and Economic Abuses

Military & Judicial Aggression

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

Judges could be fired or not paid if they made rulings the King did not like. This destroyed the separation of powers.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their substance.

Creating an expensive bureaucracy of tax collectors and customs officials to bleed the colonies dry.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

British troops remained in the colonies during peacetime to intimidate the population, violating the longstanding English tradition against a standing army in peacetime.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

The King put soldiers in charge of local government, effectively declaring martial law.

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

Referencing the Boston Massacre (1770), where British soldiers killed civilians. The King ensured they were tried in England (or given leniency) so they would not face justice in America.

Economic Warfare & Trade

He has cut off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

“Taxation without Representation.” This includes the Stamp Act and the Tea Act. The colonists had no vote in the British Parliament, yet were taxed.

For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

Accused colonists were often sent to England for trial, where they could not afford to travel and could not defend themselves against false accusations.

War & Tyranny

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

Using “Impressment” — forcing captured American sailors into the British Navy to fight against their own countrymen.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

This language reflects the prejudices of the 18th century. The British government had indeed formed alliances with Native American tribes to attack frontier settlements. However, the colonists viewed the Native American style of warfare as “savage” compared to European “rules of war,” which allowed for the dehumanization seen in this text.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny…

King George hired Hessian mercenaries (German soldiers) to fight the colonists, viewed as a particularly dishonorable act.