August 23, 1775

Proclamation of Rebellion

George III issues the Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition

The proclamation ordered ordinary loyal subjects — not only soldiers and officials — to report anyone corresponding with the rebels.

23 August 1775: a proclamation at St James's

At the court at St James's on 23 August 1775, George III, acting with the advice of his Privy Council, issued "A Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition."

It declared that subjects in Britain's North American colonies had proceeded to "open and avowed Rebellion" by organizing in a hostile manner and levying war against the king.

What it commanded

The proclamation ordered civil and military officers and loyal subjects throughout the king's dominions to help suppress the rebellion and bring those responsible to justice.

It went further than officialdom. Subjects were commanded to report people corresponding with or aiding those in arms, so that the authors and abettors of the alleged treason could be punished.

The petition, and the timing

This was not the king reading the Olive Branch Petition and rejecting its contents that day. Richard Penn and Arthur Lee did not present the formal original to Lord Dartmouth until 1 September, though a copy may have reached him around 21 August.

The proclamation made the petition's hoped-for reconciliation far less plausible. Congress did not learn that the king had declined to receive it formally until November.

Sources

Researched 23 Aug 2026 5 sources 2 audit passes

How this was checked

Researched from the web into a fact sheet, rewritten from that sheet, then audited against it by a different model. How the pipeline works →

What the sources leave uncertain

The proclamation’s date and text are secure. Its exact relationship to the Olive Branch Petition requires chronological care.
The petition reached Britain before 23 August in some form, and a copy may have reached Dartmouth around 21 August, but Penn and Lee did not present the formal original to Dartmouth until 1 September. The proclamation therefore was not a same-day response after the king personally read and rejected the original.
Authoritative accounts variously describe the proclamation as an effective answer to the petition or as issued before the petition was formally delivered. These interpretations are compatible if “answer” is understood politically rather than as a literal written response.