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The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria cover

The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. / From the Accession of George III. to the Twenty-Third Year of the Reign of Queen Victoria

Chapter 707: WAR WITH AMERICA.
By Edward Farr
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About This Book

The volume traces British political, parliamentary, and military developments from the accession of George III through the early nineteenth century, chronicling changes of ministry and cabinet, debates over colonial taxation and the American conflict, parliamentary controversies involving figures such as Wilkes and Warren Hastings, questions of Catholic relief and slave-trade abolition, and responses to the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars, including major naval and continental campaigns, the union with Ireland, and domestic legislation on finance, civil liberties, and parliamentary reform.

WAR WITH AMERICA.

During this year the disputes between England and America broke out into a war. On her part England had done what she could to bring these disputes to an amicable adjustment: even offering to suspend the offensive regulations of which the Americans complained, if the Americans would repeal the restrictive acts by which they had marked their resentment. The person, however, who now directed the councils of the United States was inimical to the interests of Great. Britain, and devoted to the views and interests of Napoleon. War was declared, and the world saw with surprise, a government calling itself free banding with a military despotism which had not its parallel In the world’s history. The Americans commenced the war by the invasion of Canada; but they were defeated in two engagements, and compelled to relinquish the enterprise. They consoled themselves, however, for these disasters by their success at sea, they having captured two English frigates, chiefly from the superiority of their own in size, weight of metal, and number of men. Similar disasters also attended our naval armaments on the lakes, arising chiefly from the above-mentioned cause. The English cabinet was much censured for want of foresight, in not having been prepared with ships of sufficient size to cope with their antagonists, but neither ministers nor people expected a long continuance of this war, as it was well known that in the northern states there existed a large and powerful party averse to it, as it was prejudicial to their interests. Proposals, apparently conciliatory, were, indeed, made by both parties, but the year closed without witnessing a suspension of hostilities.