It is clear when you read the Declaration of Independence that our founders felt there was no other path than breaking the ties they had with the King and a central control in Britain. It was determined that the King and the Parliament were going to force their will on the colonies and this was something the founder’s found immoral. They did not reject taxation or regulations on commerce in general, but the central government showed no willingness to listen to the people of America or limit the amount of taxation on the economy of production in America. The founder’s were also concerned about the deliberate discounting of the liberty of the individuals in the American lands.
Taxes increased, freedom decreased, and there was a determined effort by the central government to crush local leaders and any sense of independence amongst the colonies. So in an effort to justify their actions against the crown they listed their grievances. I urge you to read the list of grievances and substitute some of the federal government’s actions and mandates we see today. The conclusion I have reached is we are at a similar turning point in history today.
The difference is the first declaration was against a central authority of an unresponsive King and Parliament. Today we have an unresponsive President and Congress. And the final difference is we have a constitution to return to because of our founder’s great wisdom.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same
Object 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. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these
Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their
former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain
is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object
the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let
Facts be submitted to a candid world.
There were three main categories of grievances:
• A disregard for individual liberty
• A disregard for free market economy
• A disregard for local laws and governance
Sound familiar?
The final paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General
Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the
rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good
People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united
Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they
are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political
connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be
totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power
to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do
all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for
the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of
Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and
our sacred Honor.
We can easily see that today our states are being treated as the colonies were with contempt for the Tenth Amendment and the republican form of government. Notice the founder’s faith in a divine providence. They again show their commitment to a creator with their reference to “Divine Providence”, understanding that the form of government chosen was directly related to the idea of a power greater than any man or king. The federal government of today has ignored the constitution of which they have sworn allegiance and it is up the Governors of the states and the people to again declare our commitment to the right to rule ourselves without the heavy hand of government.
As a student of history we can see the dangers inherent in a central power with the ability to tax us at will, and limit our free markets and liberty. We can learn a lot from our founders.
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