We summarised our work on George I and George II and moved on to life under the reign of George III...
...commencing with a brief look at the American War of Independence
"By the 1770s, many people in Britain's American colonies had become resentful of British rule. King George II's government enforced strict controls on trade to and from the colonies, and imposed increasingly heavy taxes on them, too. The colonist s felt this was unfair. As they didn't have any representatives in Parliament in London, they though they should only pay taxes approved by their own governing assemblies.
"One of the most infamous anti-tax protests took place in 1773, after the British refused to remove import tax on tea. Disguised as Native Americans, a party of men stormed a ship bringing tea into Boston port and threw its cargo overboard. This protest became known as the Boston Tea Party." (Usborne History of Britain, The Georgians, p.42)
On July 4th 1776, thirteen colonies, signed the Declaration of Independence, stating that the colonies were now an independent country -USA, and free from British rule.
The War against Britain lasted for seven years.
The Great Seal
Liberty Bell
Meanwhile, in high society Georgian Britain, everybody was drinking tea. The Duchess of Bedford invited guests for afternoon tea to stop 'that sinking feeling' between lunch and dinner and a new craze swept the nation. The lower classes copied and tea became the main meal instead of dinner.
I read extracts from Pride and Prejudice while the children poured tea.
Incredibly 4/5 of the nations' tea was most likely smuggled into the country to avoid revenue taxes. For a bit of memorable fun, the children attempted to smuggle bits and pieces in from the garage without big sister, Ballet Girl (studying for her Diploma in another room), realising what they were up to. The was much hilarity when she emerged from the living room and bumped into Monkey Girl carrying a wheelbarrow.
