The 2020 Sons of the American Revolution Annual Lecture is presented by Professor David Armitage (Harvard University)
This lecture examines how George III, from his early years as Prince of Wales in the 1750s through to the twilight of his active rulership in the early nineteenth century, was educated in constitutionalism and the law of nations. The lecture further highlights how George III gathered and processed information about imperial and international affairs, and how this constitutional and juridical knowledge shaped his understanding of international relations, the American Revolution, and the abolition of slavery, among other pressing contemporary questions. From an examination of the Georgian Papers at Windsor Castle and the King’s Library at the British Library, a new picture emerges of George III as an unusually thoughtful, engaged, and at times surprisingly radical student of Montesquieu and Blackstone. This portrayal sees George III as a modernising monarch uniquely well equipped to reflect on the changing nature of sovereignty in an age of revolutions.
The lecture will be followed by a live Q&A session on Zoom.All are warmly invited to attend this free event online, please register to secure your place, and details of how to join the live Zoom meeting will be sent to you shortly. The lecture will also be recorded and made available on the GPP website.
Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/george-iii-and-the-law-of-nations-tickets-131182320853