The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777

In June 1773, King George III journeyed to Portsmouth to inspect the Royal Navy and celebrate Britain’s maritime supremacy. He traversed a countryside teeming with spectators eager to catch a glimpse of their ruler. The Portsmouth naval review was a display of imperial power, with hundreds of naval vessels in formation. Amid cheers from people “delirious with pride” (19), George toured the fleet and basked in the affirmation of national greatness. For four days, he inspected shipyards and ropewalks with technical zeal, personifying his role as steward of empire. Unlike his forebears, George was a “thoroughly English” (21) King. Though sickly in his youth, he was a diligent and pious ruler who served as his own secretary. He was proud of his status as the head of the British Empire and sought to safeguard his realm. A difficult war with France had resulted in vast acquisitions in the Americas for the British Empire. This included “almost two thousand slave plantations growing sugarcane in the West Indies” (24).

Yet beneath the spectacle in Portsmouth lay anxiety. The British Empire, triumphant after the Seven Years’ War, was stretched thin. The cost of war had driven Britain into debt, and the Empire’s rapid expansion raised questions of governance and control.