a child (plural children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental ... Legally, the term child may refer to anyone below the age of majority or some other age limit. ... be under the care of a responsible adult or child custody, whether their parents divorce or not.
I would say that the intended meaning of that hyperbole is that <span>the speaker thinks that the colonists are being unfairly treated by the British government</span>
