Declaration of Rights and Grievances
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For the declaration resulting from the 1774 Coercive Acts, see Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress.
The Declaration of Rights and Grievences was a document created during the Stamp Act Congress declaring that taxes imposed on British colonists without their formal consent were unconstitutional. This was especially directed at the Stamp Act, which required that documents, newspapers, and playing cards to be printed on special stamped and taxed paper.
The Declaration of Rights raised fourteen points of colonial protest. In addition to the specific protests of the Stamp Act taxes, it asserted that
- Only the colonial assemblies had a right to tax the colonies. (no taxation without representation).
- Trial by jury was a right, and the use of Admiralty Courts was abusive.
- Colonists possessed all the Rights of Englishmen.
- Without voting rights, Parliament could not represent the colonists.
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