George I and the American Revolution

George I and the American Revolution

George III: A New Kind of King

• Became king in 1760 after the death of his grandfather George II
• First Hanoverian king born in England
• Spoke English as his first language
• Wanted to rule, not just reign
• Created his own political group: The King's Friends

The Road to Conflict

• Britain won the Seven Years' War (against France)
• American colonists no longer needed British protection
• Heavy taxes and duties imposed by George III’s government

The Boston Massacre (1770)

• British soldiers killed 5 colonists during a protest
• Seen as a violent attack on civilians
• Increased anti-British feeling
• Encouraged more support for independence

The Boston Tea Party (1773)

• Protest against the Tea Act
• Colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor
• Major act of resistance
• United the 13 colonies

War and Independence (1775–1781)

• War began near Boston in 1775
• 4 July 1776: Declaration of Independence
• American victory with help from France (1778) and Spain (1779)
• British defeat at Yorktown (1781)

Treaty and Consequences

• Treaty of Versailles (1783)
• Britain recognized the United States
• Britain kept Canada
• Britain left financially ruined

Recovery: William Pitt the Younger

• Became Prime Minister in 1784
• Introduced Britain’s first income tax
• Reduced import duties
• Applied Adam Smith’s Free Trade ideas
• Helped restore the economy

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