How King George III United the Colonies
The Olive Branch Petition: the turning point for American Independence
George III, King of England (1778) by Edward Fisher U.S. National Archives
After the Revolutionary War erupted in 1775, the Second Continental Congress united in their resolve to fight the British, yet remained deeply divided over their ultimate political goals...
The Olive Branch Petition, page 1 U.S. National Archives
In return, the King proclaimed every rebel a traitor. Great Britain's refusal to negotiate a peace ultimately strengthened colonial support for independence.
A year before independence, the Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, seeking reconciliation. Pennsylvanian John Dickinson was its primary author, but not all of Congress supported it.
King George III Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition King George III Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition (23 August 1775) U.S. National Archives
King George III refused to formally receive or respond to the Continental Congress' Olive Branch Petition. Rather, his August 23, 1775, proclamation declaring the American colonies to be in "open and avowed Rebellion" effectively answered the delegates' plea for reconciliation.
King George III's October 1775 speech to Parliament declared the colonies were fighting for independence. With this act he ended reconciliation hopes and drove loyal colonists toward revolution.
Agreement of Secrecy Agreement of Secrecy (11 September 1775) U.S. National Archives
After King George III labeled all rebels as traitors, the Second Continental Congress met in secret to protect their cause.
On November 9, 1775, they ratified a Secrecy Agreement that branded leakers as 'enemies to liberty' and mandated their expulsion. This strict code of silence remained in effect until June 1777.
The Unfortunate Death of Major Andre (1783) by John Goldar after Hamilton U.S. National Archives
By rejecting the Olive Branch Petition and declaring the colonists traitors, King George III extinguished the final hopes for reconciliation. His refusal to negotiate transformed a colonial grievance into an inevitable war for independence.
The Olive Brach Petition, and its rejection, paved the way for the Declaration of Independence to be signed only a year later.
The Olive Branch Petition is part of Road to Revolution, a series of displays highlighting National Archives records that document the journey from colonial resistance to American independence and the diverse experiences of the nation's founding generation.Road to Revolution is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation, through the generous support of Comcast Corporation, Microsoft, and Procter & Gamble.
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