Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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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.

Explore more:
billofrightsinstitute.org/constitution-day

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