George III is often accused of obstinately trying to keep Great Britain at war with the rebels, despite the opinions of his own ministers.O'Shaughnessy, ch 1. In the words of British historian George Otto Trevelyan, the King was determined "never to acknowledge the independence of the Americans, and to punish their contumacy by the indefinite prolongation of a war which promised to be eternal."Trevelyan, vol. 1 p. 4. The King wanted to "keep the rebels harassed, anxious, and poor, until the day when, by a natural and inevitable process, discontent and disappointment were converted into penitence and remorse".Trevelyan, vol. 1 p. 5. Later historians defend George by saying that, in the context of the times, no king would willingly surrender such a large territory,Cannon and Griffiths, pp. 510–511. and his conduct was far less ruthless than contemporaneous monarchs in Europe.Brooke, p. 183. After Saratoga, both Parliament and the British people were in favour of the war; recruitment ran at high levels and political opponents, though vocal, remained a small minority.Brooke, pp. 180–182, 192, 223.
