Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

---

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.

Explore more:
billofrightsinstitute.org/constitution-day
#DeclarationOfIndependence #Grievance9 #AmericanRevolution #USHistory #Civics #SeparationOfPowers #JudicialIndependence