47 pages 1 hour read

Steve Sheinkin

King George: What Was His Problem?

Nonfiction | Book | Middle Grade | Published in 2005

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Background

Ideological Context: Rebellion During the American Revolution

King George: What Was His Problem? explores subjects of rebellion, governance, and leadership throughout the American Revolution. Seeking to understand the motivations, struggles, and ideologies that fueled the conflict between the American colonies and the British Crown, rebellion is central to the book, not only as a historical event but also as an ideological battle over the right to self-governance and liberty. Thus, the American Revolution is portrayed as not merely a rebellion but a fundamental clash of values. This ideological struggle is epitomized though the colonists’ desire for autonomy and King George III’s insistence on imperial authority, a conflict between the Enlightenment ideals of democracy and traditional monarchical power.

The subject of governance, as explored through the trials of colonial administration, the debates at Continental Congress, and the establishment of a new nation, scrutinizes the difficulties of creating a new system of governance amidst the throes of war and the shadow of an existing empire. The complexities of leadership, illustrated through the figures of King George III, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and others, portrays the subject as an endeavor that requires both strategy and moral vision.