Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument23 August 1775

Proclamation of Rebellion

George III of Great Britain · 23 August 1775

George III's 1775 declaration that the American colonies were in open rebellion, ordering officials to suppress it by force.

George III personally issued this proclamation, declaring the colonies in rebellion and ordering their suppression by force.

Ask George III about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Scan of the printed 1775 royal proclamation headed 'By the KING, A PROCLAMATION, For suppressing Rebellion and Sedition', with a crown and lion coat of arms above, the text 'GEORGE R.' and a dense block of legal text, dated at St. James's on the twenty-third day of August 1775, signed 'God save the King', and printed in London by Charles Eyre and William Strahan.
Proclamation of Rebellion, 23 August 1775. Printed by Charles Eyre and William Strahan, London.

About this source

What it is

Issued on 23 August 1775 in response to the Battle of Bunker Hill, this proclamation declared parts of the American colonies to be in a state of 'open and avowed rebellion.' It ordered imperial officials to suppress the uprising and warned subjects against aiding the rebels. It was printed in London and distributed as an official royal document.

Why it matters

This was George III's answer to colonial unrest, issued before he had even seen the Continental Congress's conciliatory Olive Branch Petition. It hardened the conflict, convincing many colonists, including moderates, that reconciliation with the King was no longer possible, pushing them toward independence.

Look closer

  • What words does the King use to describe the colonists, and what do they reveal about his attitude?
  • Why might the King have issued this before reading the colonists' petition?
  • How did this document change the minds of colonial leaders?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of George III on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More George III sources

Meet the AI George III →
Printed broadside titled 'By the KING, A PROCLAMATION' under a royal coat of arms, dated 1763 in London, with 'GEORGE R.' and dense columns of small printed text in two columns.Document

Primary source

Royal Proclamation of 1763

7 October 1763

Sepia etching of an elderly bearded man with long flowing hair, shown in profile facing right. Below him is the inscription 'When we forget him may God forget us', 'Drawn by M.C. Wyatt and Engraved by Wilson Lowry', and 'Nov 6 1817'.Painting

Primary source

King George III, Etching by Wilson Lowry after M. C. Wyatt

Matthew Coates Wyatt · 6 November 1817

Black and white mezzotint portrait of a man in an embroidered coat with ribbon bows and medallion chains on the shoulders, wearing a powdered wig. Below is an inscription reading 'His most Sacred Majesty George the III, King of Great Britain, &c.' and 'Printed for Carington Bowles in St Paul's Church Yard', with 'Frye pinx' at lower left.Painting

Primary source

King George III, Mezzotint after Thomas Frye

Thomas Frye · not later than 1762

Scan of the engrossed Declaration of Independence on aged parchment. Heading reads 'In Congress, July 4, 1776' with the title 'The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen United States of America' below. Dense handwritten text fills the page; signatures appear at the bottom.Document

Primary source

Declaration of Independence

Continental Congress (drafted by Thomas Jefferson) · 1776

Black and white stipple engraving of a man in a powdered wig and dark military-style coat with gold buttons, a star-shaped order badge on his chest, and a white cravat. Printed text below reads George the Third and a royal coat of arms.Painting

Primary source

King George III, Stipple Engraving by P. W. Tomkins

Peltro William Tomkins · 21 January 1801

Ready when you are

Start chatting with George III now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions