The British King and Parliament were depriving colonists of their natural rights, therefore justifying the colonists’ actions of rebellion and independence. There are many ways to look at this statement, two of which are the following: everyone was born with God given natural rights or everyone had king granted rights.
The first side of the statement is this: everyone was born with God given rights to life, liberty, and property. This idea came from John Locke in the 17th century. He said that God gave every man natural rights. These rights could not be taken away for any reason by anyone, even if that someone was royalty or an institution the royalty had created. Locke believed that anyone who worked in the “commons” (essentially anywhere …show more content…
In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed by King John. The Magna Carta gave his subjects the promise that from now on, he and all future monarchs would try to not harm or potentially harm the citizens of England. This means they will protect their rights of life, liberty, and property. Included within the Magna Carta, it states, “No freemen shall be taken, imprisoned…or in any way destroyed…except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” Magna Carta was made to calm the English barons who were revolting against King John. Unlike John Locke’s idea that these rights of life, liberty, and property were God given, these rights were King given, and therefore could be taken away by a future king or queen. Later in 1689, Parliament passed the English Bill of Rights entailing the enumerated rights of all citizens of England, and guaranteed clearly the rights to life, liberty, and …show more content…
In order to maintain troops in the colonies and to pay the debt, they tried new measures. First, they passed acts requiring the colonists to pay British merchants in only gold or silver. Then, all suspected smugglers were to have trial with no jury in vice-admiralty courts. The measure that incited the most outrage was the following: unconsented direct taxation on not transactions, but individuals. This enraged the colonists because they felt that their status’ as free men were lowered. The right of liberty was taken away. This taxation was put in place by the House of Commons: one of the houses of Parliament they were not allowed to elect representatives to. This was a flat out denial of God given rights. They had taken away the right of
The first side of the statement is this: everyone was born with God given rights to life, liberty, and property. This idea came from John Locke in the 17th century. He said that God gave every man natural rights. These rights could not be taken away for any reason by anyone, even if that someone was royalty or an institution the royalty had created. Locke believed that anyone who worked in the “commons” (essentially anywhere …show more content…
In 1215, the Magna Carta was signed by King John. The Magna Carta gave his subjects the promise that from now on, he and all future monarchs would try to not harm or potentially harm the citizens of England. This means they will protect their rights of life, liberty, and property. Included within the Magna Carta, it states, “No freemen shall be taken, imprisoned…or in any way destroyed…except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.” Magna Carta was made to calm the English barons who were revolting against King John. Unlike John Locke’s idea that these rights of life, liberty, and property were God given, these rights were King given, and therefore could be taken away by a future king or queen. Later in 1689, Parliament passed the English Bill of Rights entailing the enumerated rights of all citizens of England, and guaranteed clearly the rights to life, liberty, and …show more content…
In order to maintain troops in the colonies and to pay the debt, they tried new measures. First, they passed acts requiring the colonists to pay British merchants in only gold or silver. Then, all suspected smugglers were to have trial with no jury in vice-admiralty courts. The measure that incited the most outrage was the following: unconsented direct taxation on not transactions, but individuals. This enraged the colonists because they felt that their status’ as free men were lowered. The right of liberty was taken away. This taxation was put in place by the House of Commons: one of the houses of Parliament they were not allowed to elect representatives to. This was a flat out denial of God given rights. They had taken away the right of