Throughout the Declaration of Independence, the authors repeat the word usurpation, which means "to seize something without right." Based on the context of the document, analyze the meaning of the word and its possible connotations, or additional non-dictionary meanings that this word might imply. Why do you think the authors of the Declaration chose to repeat this specific word in the text?

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Alice Flynn

21 March, 18:18

Throughout the Declaration of Independence, the authors repeat the word usurpation, which means "to seize something without right." Based on the context of the document, analyze the meaning of the word and its possible connotations, or additional non-dictionary meanings that this word might imply. Why do you think the authors of the Declaration chose to repeat this specific word in the text?

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London Moses · Answer 1

They chose that word because it implies that the colonies never actually belonged to the king but rather to the people. The king is a usurper, meaning that his claim over the colonies is without any right. By repeating it often it sort of becomes ingrained in the reader and the reader adopts this when analyzing and talking about the declaration and the war of independence.