The House of Hanover - David Starkey (5/10)

Monarchs of this House:
King George I
King George II
King George III
King George IV
King William IV
Queen-Empress Victoria

In 1714, an obscure German Prince was crowned King George I of Great Britain, signalling the beginning of a new political era that saw the rise of the new role of Prime Minister, and established the pattern of political modernity we are familiar with today. When, in 1789, the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed and the French Revolution began, few in Britain - least of all King George III, who was recovering from one of his bouts of madness - thought that it would lead to a cataclysmic war with France.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• King George I
• House of Hanover
• Queen Victoria
• British Empire
• King George III
• British
• Monarchy
• American
• Revolution
• David Starkey
• King George II
• Prince Regent
• King William IV

[happymax1]

... Why didn't King George III just "buy off" the so called rebels by offering them lands and titles? Most of the Americans would have accepted a *generous* offer... Ergo... The British States of America.... (hmmmm.... you want to give me 100,000 acres and make me a Duke?... well.... ok... Your Majesty...)

[LyricalXilence]

Wooo! Go Team America! Though my people would have to wait centuries to have those equal rights they fought for in the 1770s, but that's a different story. Feel kind of sorry for George III, but I prefer living in America; not British-America. A horrible consequence of the American Revolution was the French Revolution.

[gaiuskaiser2]

Britain taxed America.And refused to give them representation at Westminster.End of story

[GodConsciousness]

Wrong, Starkey old chap. Sir Henry Clinton was Commander-in-Chief of British Armies in America. If Cornwallis was CinC, then he could've easily ordered Sir Henry out of New York with his 10,000 or so troops.

[ZephonTLucifer]

I went to mount Vernon and the place is just ridiculous - England and Germany have the best mansions ....that are actually make in stone - instead of wood.

[jasonpjolley]

Americans have always been somewhat envious of the monarchy, on a social level anyway.

[PatrickEngSU]

I wish the US was still part of brittian; maybe we wouldn't be such social retards

[CaitlinSk]

@happymax1 it was principle on both sides. King George III wanted absolute unconditional surrender from the rebels. He wouldn't hav ennobled then as they thought Americans to be inferior. Americans wanted their cries to be heard. They believed themselves still British and were loyal, but they thought they were being unjustly taxed without representation. besides, the taxes were incredibly low. but it was the idea of taxes being put upon them when they had no representation

[soccergirl97979]

@happymax1 becauase the Americans were determined to live seperately from England, most people left to the Colonies to get away from English rule. Besides, land meant little to them compared to the English because it was in such great supply. The best George III could've done was revoked the Stamp Act and give them representation in Parliament and even then you had radicals who would not be satisfied until America was a seperate country

[tribetng]

Good plan, that’s what normally, did with Scotland but what could he have offered them that they couldn’t get any other way, there was more land and money to be had in America and the taxes were lower than anywhere else in the empire (all be it without representation). He could have given them estates in England but can you really see those men ether leaving America for England or employing someone you can’t check up on to look after some land you’ll never see on the other side of the world?