nists persevered in their rebellion; indeed, they had com. mitted several overt acts of war, and hostilities may be said to have regularly commenced at Lexington, in April 1775, when a body of British troops, which had been employed to destroy some warlike stores, was attacked by the Americans.

An ex

The colonies now eagerly prepared for war, and took the necessary measures for raising an army, at the same time issuing a large paper currency for its payment. On the 17th of June 1775, a bloody engagement took place at Bunker's Hill, near Boston, in which the royal troops were victorious, but with the loss of 1100 men killed and wounded. pedition was next undertaken by the insurgents against Canada, under the conduct of Richard Montgomerie, a commander of considerable military skill. He attempted to take Quebec by storm, but was killed in the attack, while Arnold his colleague was severely wounded. The assailants were repulsed at all points, and soon afterwards obliged to make a precipitate retreat before the royal army, which speedily recovered the whole province.

In the meantime, the British force under General Howe at Boston being bombarded by the Americans, and reduced to great distress, was obliged to sail for Halifax, leaving behind. a considerable quantity of stores and artillery. On the 4th of July 1776, the congress published their declaration of independence, and the colonies assumed the title of "The United States of America." An attack was soon afterwards made upon Charleston in South Carolina, but the Americans under General Lee defended themselves so ably that the British were obliged to retire with considerable slaughter.

5. WAR OF INDEPENDENCE. In the month of August, General Howe landed 30,000 troops on Long Island, and inflicted great loss on the enemy, who however, though overpowered and surrounded, made a masterly retreat, and escaped during the night with their baggage and stores and part of their artillery. The result of these operations was the abandonment of New York and the surrender of Fort Washington and Fort Lee, which compelled the American general to retreat to the river Delaware, a distance of nearly ninety miles. The royal troops followed: Rhode Island was taken possession of, as well as all the American forts, and General Howe might have advanced on Philadelphia and finished the war, but was prevented by orders from home. This delay allowed time for Washington to recruit his shattered forces. In the

middle of winter, he surprised a body of Hessians at Trenton, taking 900 prisoners and 1000 stand of arms. The British immediately prepared to attack him, but he again eluded them, and removed from the ground with his baggage and artillery.

In September 1777, two important actions were gained by the British, which led to the surrender of Philadelphia. But this success was counterbalanced by the disastrous expedition from Quebec under General Burgoyne, who, after some partial advantages, was surrounded and compelled to surrender.

France now began to take part with the republicans, and to supply them with arms and ammunition. A number of French officers entered the American service, and in February 1778, an alliance was entered into between Louis and the United States. The people of Great Britain now began to be alarmed at the fatal tendency of the war, and commissioners were appointed to settle the disputes between the mothercountry and her colonies; but congress would listen to no terms unless the independence of the States were previously acknowledged and the hostile troops withdrawn. The war was therefore continued, and hostilities commenced against France and Spain in consequence of their having afforded aid to the revolted colonies.

In May 1780, Sir Henry Clinton made himself master of the important town of Charleston, and Lord Cornwallis obtained a signal victory over General Gates; yet none of these events promised a speedy termination of the war. Cornwallis was soon after obliged to retreat 200 miles to Wilmington, where his situation at length became very critical. By a variety of judicious manoeuvres, Washington prevented him from receiving assistance from Sir Henry Clinton the commander-in-chief, and he was closely invested in York Town by the American army and the French fleet. In October the trenches were opened with a large train of artillery; the British works were demolished by the enemy's batteries; the troops, enfeebled by constant fatigue, were cut off by the sword and by sickness, and his lordship was ultimately coinpelled to surrender himself and his whole army as prisoners of war. England, having now lost all hope of reducing her colonies to obedience, recognised their independence, and the definitive treaty was concluded at Versailles on the 3d of September 1783.

For some years previous to this period, the American war constituted the chief part of the history of Britain; the other

events of any moment being a slight rupture with Spain about the Falkland Islands, which remained in the possession of Britain, and a plot to destroy by fire the naval dock-yard at Portsmouth in 1776,-the perpetrator of which was discovered and hanged.

EXERCISES.

1. What was the amount of the national debt at the death of George 11.? What was the popular feeling about war? What compact was discovered by Pitt? How did he act on the discovery? What were the chief events in his war?

2. How was the treaty of 1763 named? How was it received by the public? Describe the various causes of party irritation at this time. What was the nature of the publication edited by Wilkes? In what legal proceedings was he successful? What attempts were made to expel him from parliament ?

3. What was the origin of the discontents in America? What was the effect of the Stamp Act? Where did violence begin? What was the course taken by the Grenville ministry? Describe the conduct of Pitt at this period. Who was his successor?

4. Describe the occurrences at Boston on the arrival of the cargoes of tea. Whom did the Americans appoint their commander? Where did hostilities commence? What was the result of the battle of Bunker's Hill? How did the expedition against Quebec terminate? What document was published by congress? What title did they assume for their country?

5. Describe the progress of the war after the landing of General Howe till the French took part in it. What measures towards a compromise were taken by Britain? How were they received? What occurred from this circumstance to the recognition of the independence of the United States? What is the date of the treaty ?

CHAPTER XXXIV.

FROM THE END OF THE AMERICAN WAR TO THE TREATY of Amiens, a. D. 1780—1802.

The No-Popery Riots-Coalition Ministry-William Pitt-Irish Volunteers -Impeachment of Warren Hastings-The King's first Illness-Nootka Sound Dispute-The French Revolution-The Birmingham Riots-Dr Priestley-War with France-Lord Howe's Victory-Trial of Horne Tooke-War with Spain-Battles of Saint Vincent and CamperdownSuspension of Cash Payments-Mutiny of the Fleet-Irish Rebellion-Battle of the Nile-The Union of Ireland-The Armed Neutrality-Battle of Copenhagen-Peace of Amiens.

1. THE assistance given by the French government to the Americans in their struggle for independence has already

been mentioned. There was peace at the time between Britain and France, but the government of Louis XVI. could not omit so favourable an opportunity of injuring England, forgetting how dangerous an example they were setting for their own country in helping a people to throw off their allegiance and become a republic. They suffered for their shortsighted policy, and the Revolution of 1789 was owing in a great measure to this ill-timed alliance. In after years, Louis XVI. said to his ministers: "I never think of the affair of America without regret. My youth was taken advantage of at that time, and we are suffering for it now. The lesson is too severe to be forgotten." This treaty, which has been called "the king's death-warrant," was the immediate cause of war between France and England, much to the injury of the former country. In 1779, Spain joined the confederacy, and Holland in 1780. Against all these enemies, Great Britain made vigorous exertions. In 1780, Rodney defeated the Spanish fleet under Langara off Cape Saint Vincent, and in 1782 the French fleet under De Grasse in the West Indies, by which victories the dominion of the sea was once more restored to the British flag. The united efforts of France and Spain against Gibraltar proved a decided failure, chiefly owing to the intrepidity and firmness of Governor Elliot.

NO-POPERY RIOTS. The year 1780 was remarkable for aviolent demonstration against the Roman-catholics, caused by an act of parliament "for relieving his majesty's subjects professing the Romish religion from certain penalties." This enactment roused the Scots, and an Edinburgh mob burnt a chapel and several houses belonging to the professors of the obnoxious faith. The flame spread to England; and Lord George Gordon, a man of eccentric habits and disordered intellect, was made president of the Protestant Association. On the 2d of June, 50,000 men accompanied him in procession to the House of Commons, to support an anti-popery petition subscribed by 120,000 persons. A scene of unparalleled riot and confusion took place in the house and its precincts. Several members of parliament with difficulty escaped with their lives; but the Commons remained firm, and some troops having arrived in the evening, the mob began to disperse. As they retired, they demolished two chapels belonging to the Bavarian and Sardinian embassies. On the following evening a riot took place in Moorfields; and on Sunday a popish chapel and several private houses were destroyed, the lord

mayor, either from imbecility or cowardice, taking no active measures to stop these excesses. During the next three days, the city remained in the hands of the mob; not, indeed, of those who had begun the disturbance, but of those outcasts of society so abundant in every large city. All the prisons were broken open and destroyed by fire, and numerous private houses were treated in the same manner. On Wednesday night (7th June), six and thirty fires were blazing in different quarters of the metropolis. The king now took upon himself a responsibility from which his ministers shrank, and authorized the military to act without the usual formalities. The mob, which had appeared irresistible, was soon dispersed, but not before 210 persons had been killed and 248 wounded. By the end of the week all was quiet, and Lord George Gordon was committed to the Tower on a charge of high-treason. The lord mayor was prosecuted for his negligence, and convicted: fifty-nine of the chief rioters were found guilty, of whom twenty-five were executed, and the rest transported for life.

2. When the preliminaries of peace were laid before parliament, so violent a storm was raised against the ministers, that several of them retired; and it was then that the famous coalition ministry was formed. Among its members were North, Fox, Cavendish, Keppel, Burke, and others, all men of different political principles, but who made no alteration in the articles of the treaty. The affairs of India were the ruin of this extraordinary compound. The East India Company needed reform, and Fox was desirous of the honour of this great undertaking. Accordingly, in the month of November 1783, he brought in the famous India bills, which, although putting an end to many disorders, infringed greatly on the royal authority. In despite of a strenuous opposition, and after protracted discussions, at that time very unusual (the house not dividing on the second reading until half-past four in the morning), the bill passed the Commons and was carried up to the Lords. Here the resistance was still more energetic, Lord Thurlow declaring, that if the bills passed, the king would in fact take the crown from his own head and place it on the head of Mr Fox. The ministers were defeated, and the next day the king dismissed his cabinet. William Pitt, the son of Lord Chatham, though only in his twentyfifth year, was put at the head of the new ministry, and appointed first lord of the treasury and chancellor of the exchequer. In the following year, the youthful minister suc