king george refused to receive the olive branch petition.
who refused to receive the olive branch petition?
king george
the olive branch petition was adopted by the second continental congress on july 5, 1775 and signed on july 8 in a final attempt to avoid war between great britain and the thirteen colonies in america. the congress had already authorized the invasion of canada more than a week earlier, but the petition affirmed american loyalty to great britain and beseeched king george iii to prevent further conflict. it was followed by the july 6 declaration of the causes and necessity of taking up arms, however, which made its success unlikely in london. in august 1775, the colonies were formally declared to be in rebellion by the proclamation of rebellion, and the petition was rejected by the british government; king george had refused to read it before declaring the colonists traitors.
olive branch petition
an olive branch held by a dove was used as a peace symbol in 18th century britain and america. a £2 note of north carolina (1771) depicted the dove and olive with a motto meaning: "peace restored". georgia's $40 note of 1778 portrayed the dove and olive and a hand holding a dagger, with a motto meaning "either war or peace, prepared for both." the olive branch appeared as a peace symbol in other 18th century prints. in january 1775, the frontispiece of the "london magazine" published an engraving: "peace descends on a cloud from the temple of commerce," in which the goddess of peace brings an olive branch to america and britannia. a petition adopted by the american continental congress in july 1775 in the hope of avoiding a full-blown war with great britain was called the olive branch petition.
olive branch