We charge you, King George, with “a long train of abuses” designed to “establish an absolute tyranny over these states.” Our 1776 Declaration of Independence was also a Declaration of Defiance, detailing the high crimes and misdemeanors of a tyrannical despot. The king was accused of “obstructing justice, imposing taxes, and cutting off our trade.”

This spirit of defiance can be traced back to a colonial newspaper editor who shut down his paper rather than comply with the Stamp Act of 1765. A final front-page editorial stated his case for freedom.

“Liberty is one of the greatest blessings whic...