DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

Four important parts.

• Ideals: Sets forth the Founders beliefs about the purpose of government and why government is created.

• Arguments:  D of I gives the reasons why the colonies thought they were justified in breaking away from Britain.

• Conclusion:  The colonies are now independent and officially the United States of America 

• Complaints: D of I includes a list of complaints against the King.  Showed how the King violated the rights of the colonists.

 Cut off trade between the colonies and the rest of the world.

• Required quartering (housing) of British soldiers.  

Tried to shut down colonial legislative governments.

Kept a standing army in the colonies during peace time.

• Imposed taxes without the consent of the people being taxed

• Denying the colonists the right to trial by jury.