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Birth
George III was born on June 4, 1738. It is common belief that George III was born with a hereditary disease called porphyria. Porphyria is a defect in the blood that can cause mental illness, which some believe would affect his judgement in his later years. -
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The Seven Years War
The Seven Years War was fought between Britain and France. It ended with a British victory; however, it left Britain with a huge debt. In an attempt to pay the debt, King George III and British Parlament put taxes on the American colonies, ending with colonial rebellion. -
George Becomes King of Britain
When George was young his father died, making George next in line for the thrown. When his Grandfather died George was crowned king of Britain. George was 23 at the time, making him one of the youngest rulers of his time. -
The Stamp Act was Passed
The British Parlament passed the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765. The Stamp Act put a tax on printed paper products such as legal documents and newspapers in the American colonies. King George supported the tax; however, many colonists disliked the Stamp Act and their actions started to show their dislike for taxation without representation. -
The Coercive Acts (The Intolerable Acts)
The first Coercive Act out of five was put into effect on June 1, 1774. The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, took away many of the colonies previously enjoyed rights and placed King George III and Parlament directly in charge of the colonies. -
A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition
On August 23, 1775, King George III issued A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition. The proclamation claimed that the colonies were in a state of rebellion and that the government would do everything in their power to keep the colonies in check and bring an end to the violence. The proclamation gave the king the excuse he needed to use military force on the colonies. -
The signing of the Declaration of Independence
On August 2, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed. News of the document got to England eight days later on August 10. While the colonies thought of the document as a fight for their rights as citizens, King George III saw it as a colonial rebellion. -
The British Surrender at Yorktown
On October 19, 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. While this battle is typically used to mark the end of the revolutionary war, King George III refused to admit defeat and struggled to accept it. -
William Pitt the Younger
In an attempt to win back Parlament after the loss of the American colonies, King George III elected William Pitt the Younger as Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer. This proved effective until George III had a fit of insanity in 1788. -
The Treaty of Paris Was Signed
On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Revolutionary War. The document also recognized the United States independence from Britain. -
George IV Took The Thrown
In 1810, George III suffered from an attack of insanity, resulting with his son, George IV, to permanently take over as Regent. -
His Death
King George III died. He was blind, deaf and insane. George had reigned for 59 years, giving him the third longest reign in British history.
