Primary Source

Letter from George III

George III, King of Great Britain before and during the American Revolution

One fifth of the population of Great Britain was American. Philadelphia was the second largest city in the empire, second only to London. It was the most prosperous part of the empire, and had very few taxes. Farmers and business owners in the Colonies were prosperous and thriving. During the 7 year, Britain fought the French to protect the colonies. The result was a significant increase in prosperity to the Americans.

For the British, the war had been costly and taxes in England were high. Americans had contributed little to the war, and Britain had to continue to bear the cost of defense. The British Parliament (where the real power was) was determined to share in the prosperity of its colonies by taxing the colonists. They did not consider the unification of the quarrelsome colonies in resistance a real possibility.

Letter from George III after the war concerning the loss of the American colonies - written in the 1780s

Part of These United Colonies: The American War of Independence exhibit