249 years ago today, 56 brave delegates of the Continental Congress joined together unanimously to declare independence from the tyranny of a king - in their words, “absolute Despotism” - to create our democratic republic, the United States of America.
In the declaration, they enumerate a long list of the King’s many “abuses and usurpations” as their justification, which are summarized1 below:
Government interference and denial of self-rule by:
Refusing to approve necessary laws passed by colonial legislatures
Dissolving representative assemblies and preventing new ones from forming
Blocking local governments from functioning effectively
Obstruction of justice by:
Denying the colonies a fair judicial system
Making judges dependent on the king for their jobs and salaries
Establishing courts that bypassed local justice (like admiralty courts without juries)
Use of military power to intimidate by:
Keeping standing armies in the colonies during peacetime without consent
Making the military superior to civic authorities
Using troops to enforce oppressive laws
Economic exploitation and taxation without representation by:
Imposing taxes on colonies without their consent
Cutting off colonial trade with the rest of the world
Forcing the colonies to depend on Britain economically
Violation of legal rights by:
Denying trial by jury in many cases
Transporting colonists overseas to be tried for alleged crimes
Suspending colonial laws and charters arbitrarily
Manipulation of political systems by:
Blocking the election of new legislative bodies
Sending swarms of officials to harass and control the population
Attempting to make the colonies completely dependent on the crown
Inciting violence and division by:
Encouraging Native American attacks on frontier settlements
Stirring up interval revolts
Waging war against the colonists, including burning towns, killing civilians, and using mercenaries
In their words, “A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”2
In saying NO MORE to tyranny, our founders took care to articulate the core principles that underpin our nation’s very existence. In other words, they explained the WHY of the United States of America. From the Declaration of Independence itself:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that
All men (people) are created equal.
They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights.
Among those are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
To secure these rights, Governments are instituted…deriving their power from the consent of the governed.
Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Prudence…will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes….
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations…evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”3
Our country exists because we fundamentally believe in self-governance. We do not believe in kings or concentrated and unchecked political power. We believe in equal justice under law for all people, including our leaders. This is what unites us across our differences.
Lincoln’s words from the Gettysburg Address4 are instructive:
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Today, as the BBQs sizzle and the fireworks illuminate the night sky, let’s take a quick moment to reflect on why our country exists and where we find ourselves today. Are we staying true to these founding principles? Are we honoring the sacrifice that so many have made for the sake of our freedom? Are we teaching our children the lessons of history and ensuring that tyranny does not ever rise again to threaten this exceptional experiment in self-governance?
Whatever the answer and whatever the outcome: it is ours to own.
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (July 4 GPT-40) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/gettysburg-address
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