Briefly explain how the colonists justified separating from Great Britain which was governed a King.

The King and Parliament believed they had the right to tax the colonies.  Many colonists felt that they should not pay these taxes, because they were passed in England by Parliament, not by their own colonial governments. They protested, saying that these taxes violated their rights as British citizens. The issue of taxation without representaiton in Parliment was a contributing factor, for example, the Boston Tea Party was a result of these taxes. They no longer wanted to live under a tyrant king, so the declared themselves independent, listing all of their reasons, complaints, greivences, efforts, etc. In the Declaration of Indpendence.

president thomas jefferson hoped that the embargo act of 1807 would the united states by demonstrating to britain and france their dependence on american goods, convincing them to respect american neutrality and stop impressing american seamen. instead, the act had a devastating effect on american trade.