It Was On This Day 250th Years Ago That King George III Learned About the Declaration of Independence in the American Colonies

American Declaration of Independence

Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA

Today marks the 250th anniversary of the King and government in London receiving word that the American colonies had declared independence. 

Remember, this was when word of major events travelled much more slowly than now. There was no internet or television or radio waves. Hell, even telegrams were a long way off. So it took a ship traversing the Atlantic and reaching Great Britain before people learned of these events back then. So it was well more than a month after the fact.

The Declaration of Independence was mostly authored by Thomas Jefferson. It made formal the intention of the rebelling colonies to break away from Great Britain, declaring themselves to be free and independent states. 

Of course, the conflict has already been going on for some time. The "shot heard around the world" in Lexington-Concord has been fired in April of 1775, more than one year and three months earlier. The Continental Congress had already initiated actions moving the colonies away from British rule. Meanwhile, support for the cause of independence had steadily grown throughout the colonies, especially after the publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense earlier that year.  

When the news of this declared independence reached London, it was a turning point.  Yet, the American  Revolutionary War for Independence continued for many more years before Yorktown and Cornwallis surrendering to Washington. Britain finally formally recognized American independence in 1783.

So it seemed fitting to recognize the significance of this anniversary. On this day a quarter of a century ago, while the American Revolutionary War was already raging, London first learned that the American colonies had formally declared independence.