Final answer:
The Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, addressed King George III by listing grievances that accused the king of tyrannical abuses against the American colonies, thereby justifying their separation and the formation of a new government.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Declaration of Independence addressed King George III with a series of grievances. Thomas Jefferson detailed these grievances in the document, citing the king's abuses of power such as imposing taxes without consent, restricting trade, denying the right to a fair trial, and obstructing the American colonies' self-governance. These actions were declared intolerable, embodying a tyrannical rule that led the colonists to seek independence and establish a new government based on the consent of the governed.
Indeed, the Declaration articulated the fundamental principle that governments are instituted to secure the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish any form of government that becomes destructive of these ends. In this revolutionary document, the colonies not only presented their case for independence but also laid out a vision for a new form of government, marking the birth of the United States.