Thomas Jefferson supports his major premise in the body of the Declaration of Independence by listing a detailed series of grievances against King George III, demonstrating how the king has violated the colonists' rights and acted tyrannically. This "bill of grievances" serves as evidence that the British government has repeatedly abused its power and failed to protect the natural rights of the American colonists, thereby justifying their decision to dissolve political ties and seek independence
. Specifically, Jefferson begins by asserting fundamental principles in the preamble: that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. When a government becomes destructive of these rights, the people have the right to alter or abolish it
. In the body, Jefferson enumerates the king’s repeated injuries and usurpations, including:
- Refusing assent to laws beneficial to the public good
- Dissolving representative houses
- Obstructing justice and the administration of laws
- Maintaining standing armies in peacetime without consent
- Imposing taxes without representation
- Depriving colonists of trial by jury
- Waging war against the colonies
- Inciting domestic insurrections and employing mercenaries
By presenting these facts, Jefferson aims to prove to the world that the British Crown has established "an absolute Tyranny" over the colonies, making it both their right and duty to overthrow such a government and establish new governance that secures their safety and happiness
. Thus, Jefferson’s major premise—that the colonies have the right to be free and independent states—is supported by a logical argument grounded in natural rights philosophy and substantiated by a factual record of British abuses
