1. Grievances: it’s too late to apologize!
Think back to our lesson on the Declaration of Independence: what were some of the major complaints that the colonists listed against the King in this famous document?

2. BEFORE Independence
The British had enforced new laws and limited the self-government of the colonies, which angered the Americans and drove them to into rebellion.
When the American colonists agreed that revolution was the only option, they wrote their Declaration of Independence.
In the Declaration, they listed all of their grievances—complaints—against the British government.

3. AFTER Independence
Now that the Americans were free of British rule, they wanted to create their own system of government.
They wanted to make sure that this new government would never violate their rights and cause the same problems that the British had caused during the colonial period.
As the newly independent Americans wrote the Constitution (their plan of government), they created their own solutions to address (fix) the grievances that they had listed out in the Declaration of Independence. We can match the grievances they listed the Declaration of Independence (the list of all of their complaints against King George III) with their solutions in the Constitution!

4. CHECK your UNDERSTANDING
Hold up your answer card only AFTER I’ve counted down!
Which document listed all of the grievances that the colonists had against King George III?
The Constitution
The Magna Carta
The Mayflower Compact
The Declaration of Independence

5. CHECK your UNDERSTANDING
Hold up your answer card only AFTER I’ve counted down!
Which document addressed and fixed all of the grievances that the colonists had against King George III?
The Constitution
The Magna Carta
The Mayflower Compact
The Declaration of Independence

6. Think-Write-Pair-Share
Why do you think the framers of the Constitution wanted to make sure to address their grievances while writing the Constitution?

7. Colonial Grievances & Constitutional Solutions
As we review the grievances of the Declaration of Independence, we will discuss the solutions that the Founding Fathers created to prevent these same problems from happening again in a free America! Fill in the chart below:

8. Grievance-Translation-Solution
COLONIAL GRIEVANCE: “for imposing taxes on us without our consent (without representation)…”
TRANSLATION: “England is charging new taxes on the colonies without allowing us to have representation in Parliament. No taxation without representation! No way!”
SOLUTION: The Constitution creates a legislative branch (the House of Representatives and the Senate) which has the power to create taxes.

9. Grievance-Translation-Solution
GRIEVANCE: “[King George III] has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent [approval] to laws for establishing judiciary (judicial) powers.”
TRANSLATION: “The king is refusing to give us the power to create our own court systems and appoint our own judges!”
SOLUTION: The Constitution creates the judicial branch of government which reviews the laws.

10. Check your Understanding
Hold up your answer card only AFTER I’ve counted down!
Which branch of our government votes on laws to decide what kind of taxes we have to pay?
The Legislative Branch
The Executive Branch
The Judicial Branch
The Presidential Branch

11. Grievance-Translation-Solution
Grievance: “for cutting off trade with all parts of the world.”
Translation: “The Navigation Acts and mercantilist policies are limiting our ability to trade with other countries—that is killing our economy!”
Solution: The Constitution states that the national government controls trade with other nations; states control trade that happens within their borders.

12. Grievance-Translation-Solution
Grievance: “He has refused his assent (agreement) to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”
Translation: “The King vetoes everything new law that we want, and we can’t do anything about it!”
Solution: Congress has the power to override a Presidential veto on a law.

13. Check your Understanding
Hold up your answer card only AFTER I’ve counted down!
How did mercantilism hurt the 13 colonies?
It limited what colonial farmers could produce
It limited the colonies’ trade
It taxed the colonists unfairly
It encouraged the growth of the colonial merchant class

14. Check your Understanding
Hold up your answer card only AFTER I’ve counted down!
Which principle of the Constitution prevents one branch of government from having too much power?
Federalism
Popular Sovereignty
Checks and Balances
Republicanism

15. Grievance-Translation-Solution
Grievance: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies, without the consent (permission) of our legislature.”
Translation: “The King passed the Quartering Act, which is forcing us to allow soldiers to sleep in our house and eat our food—even when there is no war going on!”
Solution: The 3rd Amendment in the Constitution states that the government cannot force people to quarter soldiers in their homes.

16. Grievance-Translation-Solution
Grievance: “for depriving us, in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury.”
Translation: “When the King puts us on trial, he decides if we are guilty or innocent—we don’t get an impartial jury!”
Solution: The 6th Amendment in the Constitution guarantees that all Americans have the right to a trial by jury and due process.

17. MATCHING ACTIVITY!
DIRECTIONS: With your table groups, use the cards to match the grievance from the Declaration of Independence with the part of the Constitution that fixed the problem!
For Example:
The red grievance card that states “for cutting off trade with all parts of the world” should be matched with the blue constitutional solution card that states “Congress regulates imports and exports to foreign countries, while states regulate the trade within their own states.”