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


The signers of the Declaration of Independence made a charge against George III claiming “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” The people of the American colonies were not happy with their military situation after the Boston Massacre in 1772. They felt that the standing armies were “corrupting the morals of society” and were also said to be “dreaded as the ready engines of tyranny and oppression.” Many people seemed to fear standing armies and being mistreated by them. George Washington wisely stated “a large standing Army in time of Peace hath ever been considered dangerous to the liberties of a County, yet a few Troops, under certain circumstances, are not only safe, but indispensably necessary.” This comment most likely sums up what the people in the colonies were thinking at the time. They were surrounded by standing armies, even at times of peace, which caused more disorder than necessary. Many colonists began to complain about the situation of standing armies. Furthermore, numerous states began to create new constitutions and bills of rights, which contained “provisions separately addressing the grievances against the involuntary quartering of soldiers and maintenance of standing armies.” The 1776 Virginia Bill of Rights gave a clear statement of what the people wanted in terms of an army, “a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe-defense of a free State.” Therefore when the Declaration of Independence was written it included this grievance directed to George III arguing against standing armies in times of peace.


Susannah MacKinnon