Assignment on Declaration of Independence

8/16/2019 The Declaration of Independence: Analyzing Grievances | QL #210
https://www.curriculumpathways.com/portal/Launch?id=210 1/9
The Declaration of Independence:
Analyzing Grievances
In this "break-up" letter the colonies are sending to
King George III, what are the strongest arguments
for ending the relationship?
Reasons for the break-up
Grievances against Great Britain and King George III
American colonists were unhappy with British rule for many reasons. Here are some of
the most important ones:
Parliament passed laws that the colonists considered unjust.
Colonists had no direct representation in Britain’s Parliament.
Parliament expected the colonists to help pay the costs of the French and Indian
War.
Colonists weren’t allowed to sell products to any country except Britain.
Parliament placed high taxes on French and Dutch goods to force colonists to buy
only British products.
Let's do some research
Use these sites to identify additional reasons why the colonists wanted to break away from
Great Britain.
Watch the Stamp Act movies 1-3 to identify grievances in the early protest
movements.
Read the summary in Reasons for the Revolution to identify grievances the colonists
experienced in the years following the Stamp Act (1765-1776).
Refer to the research you have done so far to answer the following questions.

8/16/2019 The Declaration of Independence: Analyzing Grievances | QL #210
https://www.curriculumpathways.com/portal/Launch?id=210 2/9
The "break-up" Declaration
1 Why did the British want the colonists to pay a greater portion of the cost of
imperial governing?
2 Why did the colonists object to this increased taxation?
3 What was the impact of the 1773 Boston Tea Party?
4 How did Thomas Paine's 1776 Common Sense pamphlet help move the colonies
toward revolution?
Let’s start with an overview
The Declaration of Independence explained to the British king (and the rest of the world)
why the colonies were declaring independence. It has four major components: