Final answer:
Thomas Jefferson blamed King George III in the Declaration of Independence for taxing without consent, interfering with trade and rights, and depriving colonists of self-government, thereby identifying a single tyrannical figure rather than the British Parliament to potentially leave room for future reconciliation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas Jefferson blamed British King George III, rather than the British Parliament, for various reasons. One reason was the fact that King George III had taxed the colonists without their consent, which, to Jefferson and the colonists, represented a tyranny over the states. A monarch who abused his power in this way and failed his subjects by interfering with their trade, denying their rights to trial by jury, and depriving them of self-government, could not be tolerated. Jefferson articulated these grievances in the Declaration of Independence, which also established the foundation of America's government as a republic where the consent of the governed is paramount. Additionally, by focusing on the King, Jefferson aimed to avoid labeling the entire British system as corrupt, thus leaving a slot open for potential reconciliation with the British Parliament in the future, should the opportunity arise.