King+George+III

King George III By: Eric Chronister

 King George III was the ruler of England from 1760 until his death January 29, 1820. His reign over England was marked by a number of military conflicts including the Seven Year's War, the American Revolutionary War , and the Napoleonic Wars.

King George's reign began in the middle of what became the Seven Year's War. England fought France during the war. The conflict between France and England spilled over the Atlantic Ocean and became the French and Indian War in America. In the end England won the war although it was left with severe debt. King George III decided that, to help ease the debt on England, there would be new taxes on goods exported from England to it's American colonies, namely the sugar, stamp, and tea acts. The tension between the American colonies and Britain grew until it climaxed with the American Declaration of Independence. This turned into the American Revolutionary War. The war was waged for five years until, with the help of the French, General Cornwallis of Britain surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. After this the Treaties of Paris were signed which, among other things, released America from British control and returned Florida to Spain. After the war ended King George started to show signs of what experts now believe to be porphyria, a nervous system disorder which results in mental instability and confusion.

The French Revolution of 1789 worried many a British landowner. When the French declared war on Great Britain in 1793 their fears were realized. King George III raised taxes in an effort to help with the war effort. It ended up that, because of the first and second coalition, Great Britain was left to fight France by themselves. During this time King George suffered a relapse of his porphyria. He soon recovered, however, and with the Treaty of Amiens signed in 1802 Great Britain and France were at peace. The peace did not last very long because in 1803 France and Great Britain once again declared war on one another. A year later King George suffered another relapse of his porphyria. Later in his life (1810) King George was virtually blind from cataracts and in pain because of rheumatism. In 1811 he has become permanently insane and took up residence in his secluded Windsor Castle until his death in 1820.