The Declaration of Independence Annotated

The Volokh Conspiracy » The Declaration of Independence Annotated
But to justify a revolution, it was not thought to be enough that officials of the government of England, the Parliament, or even the sovereign himself had violated the rights of the people.
No government is perfect; all governments violate rights.
This was well known.
So the Americans had to allege more than mere violations of rights.
They had to allege nothing short of a criminal conspiracy to violate their rights systematically.
Hence, the famous reference to “a long train of abuses and usurpations” and the list that follows.
In some cases, these specific complaints account for provisions eventually included in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.