Rick Atkinson on the causes and effects of the American Revolutionary War * Oregon ArtsWatch

Research for The Fate of the Day began at the British National Archives at Kew and the British Library, with additional material drawn from the Georgian Papers at Windsor Castle. These sources shaped a view of King George III as a sympathetic figure, described as a caring father of fifteen children and a loving husband to Charlotte. The portrayal contrasts with long-standing caricatures that label him a tyrant, a common brute, or a sinister figure. George III is presented as a constitutional monarch and a patriot king who supported the arts and sciences. Understanding his motivations is used to clarify why Britain fought the American colonies for eight years across 3,000 miles of ocean, following British gains from the Seven Years War.

"Atkinson recounted how he began research for his book at the British National Archives at Kew outside of London and the British Library. He supplemented his research by examining the Georgian Papers that are housed at Windsor Castle outside of London. These papers gave Atkinson the ability to see King George III as a sympathetic person who was a caring father of 15 children and a loving husband to his wife, Charlotte."

"George III has been caricatured by Britons and Americans alike for many years. Atkinson stated that George III was not the "tyrant" that Thomas Jefferson called him in The Declaration of Independence. He was not the "common brute" that Thomas Paine mentioned in Common Sense, nor the "sinister ninny" that he has been referred to in the Broadway play Hamilton."

"Rather, George III was a constitutional monarch who also was a patriot king, and a great supporter of the arts and sciences. Atkinson mentioned that his role as a researcher and writer was to find out who George was and why he did what he did during the Revolutionary War. His research gave him a better understanding of why the British Empire waged war for eight years against the American colonies, which were separated by 3,000 miles of ocean between the two adversaries."

"Atkinson explored the reasons why Britain entered the war with the American colonies in the first place. The British, having won the Seven Years War against France, acquired Canada, the Sugar Islands in the Caribbean, and India. As a result, they were deeply"

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