Episode 5: The King’s Response Date: Week of August 1, 1775

The colonies’ final appeal for peace meets silence—and then condemnation. King George III refuses to read the Olive Branch Petition and instead declares the American colonies in “open and avowed rebellion.” Branded as traitors, the colonists realize reconciliation is no longer an option.

In this episode of The American Legacy Podcast, host Jeff Robe explores the King’s proclamation of August 23, 1775, and its shattering effect on colonial hopes for peace. We uncover how intercepted letters, British losses at Bunker Hill, and Parliament’s influence sealed the King’s decision—and how moderates like Benjamin Franklin finally accepted that independence might be the only path forward.

Season 1 of The American Legacy follows the road to 1776, leading us toward the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.