“Let us separate, they are unworthy to be our Brethren. Let us renounce them and instead of supplications as formerly for their prosperity and happiness, Let us beseech the almighty to blast their councils and bring to Nought all their devices.”
The Olive Branch Petition was authored by John Dickinson the previous July. It appealed directly to King George III and expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain. The feeling was that most colonists were disgusted with Parliament.
There was a belief that the king cared for his subjects welfare. When he refused to accept The Olive Branch Petition, the shift from Parliament to the king had already begun. The rejection of the petition solidified that notion.
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| Abigail Adams |
The blame for the depletion of rights was placed squarely on the shoulders of King George III.
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