Grievance #15 of the Declaration of Independence

What happens when military power and government power get combined? In Grievance #12 of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. C.C. Borzilleri explains why colonists were alarmed when British military leaders gained increasing control over colonial government during the imperial crisis. In 1774, Thomas Gage became both royal governor of Massachusetts and Commander in Chief of British forces in North America. To colonists, placing civil and military authority in the hands of one person violated key Enlightenment ideas about limiting power and preventing abuse. The concern wasn’t just about one official. It was about a larger principle: governments need checks and balances so no single authority can dominate the people. Colonists feared that combining military and political power threatened their ability to consent to the laws and systems governing them. This is Part 12 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.

What do the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Acts, and Taylor Swift’s favorite number have in common? In Grievance #13 of the Declaration of Independence, Jennifer Seiter from the UVA Democracy and Capitalism Lab breaks down why colonists believed Britain was overstepping its authority and making laws without limits. As Parliament passed laws like the Stamp Act, Sugar Act, and Intolerable Acts, colonists became increasingly frustrated with taxes and restrictions imposed from across the Atlantic. But the real issue wasn’t just money. Colonists believed these laws violated the British constitutional system because they were being imposed by a government where Americans had no real voice. For Britain, Parliament had the authority to act. For colonists, that authority had crossed the line into tyranny. This growing clash over power, representation, and constitutional rights pushed the colonies closer and closer to independence. This is Part 13 of our 27-part series breaking down every grievance that led to the American Revolution, building toward Independence Day.

What if soldiers could show up and expect you to feed and house them? In Grievance #14 of the Declaration of Independence, C. David Carlson from Trinity Academy South Bend explains why colonists were outraged by the British Quartering Acts. Passed in 1765 and again in 1774, these laws required colonists to provide food and shelter for British troops stationed in America. While soldiers weren’t typically placed directly inside private homes, colonists still had to support what many increasingly viewed as an occupying force. At a time when tensions with Britain were already exploding, being forced to house and supply soldiers only made things worse. This grievance became so important that it later inspired the Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which limits the quartering of soldiers in private homes. This is Part 14 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.