King George III

King George III

Meeting George III John Adams, one of America's first leaders, traveled to England and stood before King George III. The year was 1785, and Adams had the difficult task of making peace between the two countries. America had recently won its freedom in a war against Great Britain. Adams spoke with the king, offering America's friendship. He spoke highly of the king and wished him good health and happiness. The king smiled. George III may have lost the American colonies, but he knew he would make Great Britain strong again.

Early Life King George III was born on June 4, 1738. His father and mother were the Prince and Princess of Wales. His grandfather, King George II, was the king of England. Young George grew up in an unhappy family. His father, Frederick, was first in line to be king. Frederick argued with his father, the king. George disliked hearing his father and grandfather fight. Then, at just twelve years old, George's father died, making George first in line to the British throne. Someday, he would be king.

To prepare to be king, George studied harder. Lord Bute, a nobleman, taught George about how British government worked. As king, George would have a ministry, or group of advisors. Another group, called Parliament, made laws for the nation. The king and Parliament often disagreed. George would need to know how to solve problems. In 1760, George's grandfather died, and George became king of Great Britain and Ireland at the age of twenty-two. At the time, Britain was fighting France and other countries in a European battle called the Seven Years' War. Soon the war spread to North America.

A Huge Empire In North America, the war was called the French and Indian War. Great Britain was already powerful, but when they defeated the French in North America and in Europe, they controlled more land than ever before. The war caused fighting between Lord Bute and William Pitt, one of the king's ministers. Pitt wanted to keep fighting, but Bute didn't. The king sided with Lord Bute and gave him the top job in his ministry. From there, Bute brought an end to the war in 1763 and quit his position shortly after that.

A Royal Family of His Own Not long after becoming king, George married German princess Sophia Charlotte in 1761. Their marriage lasted for more than fifty years, and they had fifteen children. Happy at home, the king continued to learn all he could and studied more about history and government. He learned the names of all the ships in the Royal Navy. He took his job as king seriously, and he faced big problems.