King George Declares Rebellion: War on the Colonies
King George III issued a Proclamation of Rebellion on August 23, 1775 (not August 22), declaring the American colonies in a state of "open and avowed rebellion" and ordering all subjects to assist in suppressing the uprising. The proclamation closed the door on reconciliation that moderates in Congress had been pursuing through the Olive Branch Petition, which the king refused to read. George III authorized the hiring of foreign mercenaries, which led to the deployment of roughly 30,000 Hessian soldiers to America. The proclamation radicalized fence-sitters throughout the colonies, pushing moderates who had hoped for compromise toward the independence camp. By the following summer, Congress had declared independence.
August 22, 1775
251 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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