(Source: Lostpine — The 27 Grievances Explained)
🔹 1. Original Grievance
“He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.”
🔹 2. What This Meant to the Colonists
The King repeatedly shut down colonial assemblies whenever they resisted his policies. Colonists saw this as a direct attack on their right to representation.
🔹 3. Historical Context
Assemblies in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia were dissolved for protesting taxation without representation and resisting British authority. The Massachusetts Assembly’s 1768 circular letter triggered widespread dissolutions.
🔹 4. Constitutional Response
- Article I, Section 7–8 — Congress alone has the power to tax.
- Representation is guaranteed through elected members of the House and the Senate.
- 10th Amendment — the federal government cannot dissolve state governments.
🔹 5. Key Vocabulary
- Dissolve
- Representation
- Taxation
🔹 6. Critical Thinking Questions
- Why is dissolving the legislature such a powerful tool of control?
- How does the Constitution ensure representation cannot be taken away?
- What modern protections prevent the government from silencing elected bodies?
🔹 7. Short Writing Prompt
Describe how Grievance 5 reflects the colonists’ belief that government must allow dissent.
🔹 8. Extension Activity
Write a short speech from the perspective of a colonial legislator whose assembly has just been dissolved.