The Declaration of Independence was a series of grievances the colonists enumerated against King George III. The colonists wrote the document explaining why they were breaking away. There are a few line items having to do with colonial dissatisfaction with migration policies. (1/12)
Take this clause: "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands." (2/12)
Although they were in a structure of imperial federalism with the metropole in Britain and the satellite colonies in America, the colonies had enjoyed putative control over migration policies. The British North American mainland colonies established migration & citizenship policies. (3/12)
One imperative from the colonists, certainly not Native Americans whose land was being taken and who were being killed by communicable diseases and wars, was to encourage as much voluntary migration as possible to work the land, and occupy and defend land from displaced Native people. (4/12)
In addition to giving away free land for migrating, tax holidays, promising mild government and religious toleration, fast + easy naturalization was an essential recruitment tool.
The colonies competed for migrants, each trying to dangle more incentives as neighboring colonies. (5/12)
Local control of naturalization which promised to put non-English migrants on the same legal plane as citizens was an essential migration inducement. One could not own land or pass it on to heirs without citizenship. Other political rights like running for public office was also tied to land (6/12)
When the King and Parliament tried to restrict colonies' ability to quickly and easily naturalize foreigners, the colonist were angered. That's the origin of "He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; (7/12)
Migration on to Native land also became a flash point between the colonists & Britain. At the conclusion of the 7 Years War fought between Britain and France in North America in 1754-1763, Britain gained formerly French claimed land that was also claimed by Native people. (8/12)
Trying to reduce the huge expense of frequent military conflict between the British and powerful Native alliances, King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, attempting to draw a line separating the colonists and Native American territory that the French had claimed. (9/12)
The Proclamation line prohibited white colonists from entering Native territory. That infuriated colonists who believed the land was for them as a reward for fighting the Seven Year's War for Britain. Their rage explains the line, "and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands."
(10/12)
Britain also vetoed the colonies taxing slave importations. Colonies taxed not out of concern for enslaved people but because of fears of slave insurrections, esp. in colonies w/ large numbers of enslaved people. Hence the line, "He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us"
(11/12)
Colonies were also concerned about non-slave domestic insurrections. Colonists viewed their migration policy as a part of their police power ability to protect the public peace and they resented British interference from afar.
(12/12)
