He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

This is the first charge that the signers of the declaration of independence list against the King and with good reason. It is the tyrannical nature of the King that is causing the frustrations against him and this grievance along with the 11 that follow are aimed at attacking that aspect.

What the signers are trying to say here is clear and even when looked at today the language is not as obscure or dated as in other articles of the document. The only part of the phrase that may cause any trouble in its meaning is “Assent to Laws”. It is referring to the royal assent given by the King that is needed to make a law official. Today in the majority of countries who have monarchy or loyalties to them this assenting to laws is merely a ceremonial function. Today the legislative bodies debate the laws and have realistically the power to enact them and getting royal assent is merely something preformed out of tradition. Around the time of the declaration and earlier however the King could refuse to give his assent to a law, which in the case of the recommendations of the colonists happened often.

Although there were problems before previous to this it was the period after the end of the French and Indian war in 1763 in which the main problems present to the “abuses” took place. After the French and Indian war the balance of power in the new world shifted in favor of the British and the colonies became a very powerful asset to the King. There are many theories surrounding this subject but a major one is that England was fearful or jealous of the power of the colonies and realized that if they understood the full extent of their power they could hold a revolt. In an attempt to suppress this there were a number of acts passed restricting the rights and freedoms of the colonists.

Fear was not the only factor for enacting the laws. The Proclamation of 1763 was put in place to protect the Natives and their land by preventing the colonists from expanding further west. The Sugar act, the Stamp act, Quartering act and the Townshend duties were all passed in this time and taxed the already frustrated colonists. The whole time this is happening the colonists are trying to assert themselves and establish rights. They drafted legislation that would allow for self government while still staying loyal to England.” They were in no way trying to interfere with the business taking place back in England; or trying to usurp the Kings authority. Despite their good nature they were refused by the King along with many of the other recommendations sent to him by the colonists.

In turn it was the prevention of the freedom of the colonists that lead to their revolution. By not assenting to laws the King was a rallying point for all those who felt unrepresented and abused by a Monarchy who refused to do what was seen as “wholesome and necessary for he public good.”


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