The Declaration of Independence contains 27 colonial grievances against King George III, a detail highlighted by America250’s founding-history theme.
The grievances form the main body of the Declaration after its opening statement of political principles. They accuse the king of actions that the colonists considered abuses of power, including interfering with colonial laws, obstructing justice, maintaining troops, and restricting commerce.
The list was designed to justify separation from Great Britain by presenting a sustained pattern of alleged abuses rather than a single dispute. Congress edited Jefferson’s draft before adopting the final version, so the 27 grievances belong to the congressional document as approved in July 1776.
The grievances are often confused with the thirteen colonies or the 56 signers. Those are separate historical numbers: the Declaration represented thirteen colonies, while 56 delegates eventually signed the engrossed copy.