

Having laid out the principles of just government, the Declaration turns to the facts of the King of England's government of America. The King is said to aim at tyranny. This means that there is a pattern of events showing that the king has repeatedly denied the right of the American colonies to govern themselves through their own elected legislatures, and that he has repeatedly failed to secure their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Therefore, in each one of the charges that follow, there is an implicit or explicit claim that the king has either violated the purpose of government ("to secure these rights"), or the principle of government by consent.

In the first part of the list, on domestic politics, the most obvious theme is violation of the consent principle. The king has repeatedly interfered with the colonists' right to govern themselves through their elected representatives, by closing down or harassing or vetoing the actions of American legislative bodies, by doing things unauthorized by America's legislatures, and above all by imposing Parliament's laws and taxes on the Americans without their consent.

In this list of domestic grievances, the specific character of the laws and policies that the king has blocked or imposed is also mentioned. This is to show that it is not only consent, but the security of the Americans' rights to life and liberty, that the king has violated.

Toward the end of the list, the emphasis shifts to foreign policy, and the king's attacks on the lives and property of the colonists through his making war on America.

The length of the list of "injuries and usurpations" which follows is meant to demonstrate that the King has acted tyrannically, not just once or twice, but repeatedly and over a long period. His more recent actions are particularly destructive of American rights. This explains why the Americans are justified in resorting to revolution. If his misbehavior had been only occasional, prudence would have dictated that the revolution not be undertaken. But the King's actions can only be recognized as tyrannical in light of the self-evident truths listed previously. They are the ultimate justification for the American Revolution and the American founding.