Grievance #12 of the Declaration of Independence

Can you trust the courts if judges answer to the king? In Grievance #9 of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Melissa Dow, professor at the University of West Florida, explains how King George III made colonial judges dependent on him for their jobs and salaries. Instead of being paid by local legislatures, judges were paid by the Crown. That meant their loyalty could shift away from the people and toward the king, raising serious concerns about fairness and bias in the legal system. This grievance connects to a bigger idea: separation of powers. Political thinkers like Montesquieu argued that liberty depends on keeping government powers separate, especially the courts from political control. By influencing the judiciary, colonists believed the king was undermining one of the key protections of freedom: independent courts. This is Part 9 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.

What happens when the government suddenly floods your town with officials and new rules? In Grievance #10 of the Declaration of Independence, JJ Nattrass from George Washington University explains why colonists were frustrated by the growing number of British offices and officers sent to enforce imperial laws. As Britain passed new measures like the Stamp Act and the Intolerable Acts, enforcement expanded across the colonies. More offices. More officials. More oversight. To colonists, these “swarms of officers” felt intrusive and overwhelming. They collected taxes, enforced regulations, and inserted themselves into everyday life in ways many Americans had never experienced before. This grievance wasn’t just about bureaucracy. Colonists believed British policies were threatening their livelihoods, freedoms, and ability to build lives on their own terms. This is Part 10 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.

Why were British troops stationed throughout the colonies during peacetime? In Grievance #11 of the Declaration of Independence, JJ Nattrass from George Washington University explains why colonists grew increasingly suspicious of the British military presence in America. After the Seven Years’ War, Britain kept standing armies in the colonies, claiming the troops were there to maintain stability and prevent further conflict. But many colonists saw something very different. Redcoats appeared not just on the frontier, but in major cities, where their presence began to feel less like protection and more like surveillance and intimidation. Events like the Boston Massacre only deepened those fears. To many Americans, the presence of standing armies without local consent looked like a direct threat to liberty and self-government. This is Part 11 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.

What were the grievances laid out in the Declaration of Independence? Help students define each grievance through modern song lyrics in our interactive quiz leading up to Constitution Day. This Constitution Day, BRI is highlighting the years between the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution in 1787.