One of the most memorable figures of the American Revolution was a king who was vilified in Boston and throughout the colonies. This king was King George III of England. For quite some time before war broke out, he was a figure of ridicule among the rebellious colonists. Those still loyal would not have committed such treason, but the rebels made it clear that they thought him a tyrant and a buffoon. The fact of the matter is that the king had never been to the colonies. Most colonists were as removed from him as they would be from any foreign king and he was just as removed as they were. King George III was many things and a victim of circumstance was one of them.
During King George III's rule, he was in control of Britain and all of its outlying territories -- including the colonies. He had political and military advisors bringing him news and plans from the colonies. All of his knowledge was based on the word of other men. Much of his dealings with the colonies involved listening to governors and generals and heeding their advice. When a general or governor in Boston said the uprising people needed stricter laws, the king knew no better. He did what was suggested.
It was no different in England. Parliament and the ministers the king had in place over the years were under pressure to collect taxes and fix England's debt. Few of them had deep insight into the minds of the rebels. When the rebels in Boston refused to pay taxes without colonial representation in Parliament, their minds turned to punishment. England, which was financially crippled by Seven Years War and without allies, clearly felt that it would not come to war. They all underestimated the colonies, including the king.
Comments