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NOTE 64. The Response in Britain

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Volume 4, Chapter 64, The Response in Britain

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Yorktown was surely the surrender heard round the world,

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rejoicing abounded throughout the United States and France,

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while in stunned Great Britain, Lord North exclaimed,

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Oh God, it's all over!

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To aggravate the intense dismay in England,

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the surrender came at a time when Britain was suffering

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Other Great Losses in the Worldwide War Against France and Spain, The Losses of West Florida,

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Menorca, Tobago and St. Eustatius in the West Indies, Defeats in India and Naval Threats

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in the British Channel. It became shatteringly clear to the British that the war against

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America could not be won. An agonizing reappraisal was evidently in order. The British opposition

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had begun to intensify during 1780 and opponents made effective use among the country gentry of the swelling taxes and national debt incurred by the war.

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By late 1780, the opposition was able to use Cornwallis's reversals, especially the one at Kings Mountain, as an effective argument.

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The government replied again with sentimental appeals concerning the supposed mass of American

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Tories who would be left in the lurch by a British withdrawal.

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It also played upon the common fear of games by France.

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But now the country Gentry and other independent members of parliament recognized the collapse

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of both the southern strategy and the Tory myth, and the enormous government expense

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that would be needed to carry on the war was apparent to all. Furthermore, the argument

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about France now cut the other way, for unless peace were made with America, more imperial

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territory might yet be lost to France and to Spain. The impact of Yorktown upon Great

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Britain was all the more shocking for the vaunting optimism that Lord George Germain,

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The war leader and ultra-hardliner had displayed throughout 1781. Throughout that year, he

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had insisted that the Americans were about to collapse at any moment. Even many of his

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opponents believed him. Was he not the most knowledgeable person in Britain about the

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American War? But with Yorktown, this myth was shattered.

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President George, of course, was indomitable. Still he babbled the hard line. The prosecution

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of the war can alone preserve us from a most ignominious peace. At his side was Benedict

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Arnold, whose career would be shattered by Britain's making peace with the United States.

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Arnold repeated the discredited opinion about imminent victory and the Tory masses in America,

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But this time, nobody listened. One by one, the Tories soon began to resign from the cabinet

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and the prosecution of the war. The Lord Advocate, Henry Dundas, who had earned the nickname

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starvation, by his zeal to starve out Boston in 1774, now despaired of the war and resigned

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from the Cabinet, as did Richard Rigby. In contrast, the Whigs exalted in the defeat

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at Yorktown. Horace Walpole declared, whatever puts an end to the American War will save

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the lives of thousands, millions of money too. Lord Derby even began to talk exuberantly

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of scaffolds for the King and his ministers. By Christmas of 1781, most of the country

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Every gentry opposed continuing the war.

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The end of the British war effort now seemed inevitable.

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Within the cabinet, the great stumbling block to peace remained Lord Germain, who evolved

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his own domino theory.

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The loss of America would lead inexorably to the loss of the West Indies, the American

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trade and the West Indies trade.

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Ultimately, peace would mean that we can never continue to exist as a great or powerful

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nation after we have lost or renounced the sovereignty of America.

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It was clear, however, that if the King wished to save the North Ministry from collapse,

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Germain would have to go, and many weeks were spent at the King's insistence on continuing

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In private, North was pessimistic about the war. In December, he asked Parliament to do nothing that would hinder peace negotiations, and jettisoning Germain was to be part of this phased retreat.

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Germain was finally ousted in early February 1782 to be replaced by the veteran technician

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Welbor Ellis.

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With King George stubbornly refusing either to abandon the war or to allow the North Ministry

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to fall, the administration fought a delaying action against the opposition.

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But as soon as Germain was ousted, Charles James Fox launched a campaign in Parliament

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for Removal of the Earl of Sandwich from the Admiralty.

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The prolonged and futile defense of Sandwich mobilized the opposition until Fox was able

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to push through Parliament the crucial resolution of February 27, which declared against further

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prosecution of the war.

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On this vote, many of the King's friends deserted him.

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Early on May 4, the House declared sternly that all who wished to prosecute or even advise

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the prosecution of any further offensive operations in America were to be considered enemies of

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their country.

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The war policy was finished.

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From this victory, the opposition proceeded to the ultimate step in ending the war effort,

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smashing the remains of the North Ministry.

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With the government's shaky parliamentary majority dwindling daily and the country gentry rapidly

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deserting, Lord Rockingham insisted that he would not enter any coalition.

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He would take the prime ministry only if granted full power to name his own ministers, to enact

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economic reform in cutting the budget and to grant independence to America.

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He had wisely absorbed the lesson of his party theoretician, Edmund Burke, that it was necessary to have a clear cut and firm program for the party as well as sole responsibility of the ministry for carrying it out.

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The King wildly muttered about abdication, but North, in despair, finally prevailed upon the King to accept his resignation on March 20.

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In abject surrender, King George was forced to replace him with his worst enemy, Lord Rockingham, one week later.

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The military phase of the American conflict was over. The conclusion of the war was now in the hands of the diplomats.

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The triumph of Rockingham was the triumph of the Burke Principle of Party.

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The importance of remaining true to party principles and not accepting coalitions with groups of Tories.

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By remaining true to a program of economical reform and peace with an independent United States,

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Rockingham forced the King to turn to him to provide an alternative regime when the policy of war and high spending broke down.

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The only exception was Earl Shelburne and his followers. Under Rockingham, Whigs poured

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into government. The leader of the old Chattamite forces, Shelburne was the Whigs' only and

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fatal concession to the concept of coalition. The accession of Rockingham marked the definitive

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turn in Britain from the rule of the King and his friends to the rule of Parliament,

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as well as the corollary turn from the mere fractional rule of personal cliques to a government

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of definite and demarcated political parties.

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The Rockingham Ministry swiftly abolished the post of Secretary of State for the American

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Department and two critically important figures took their places under Prime Minister Rockingham.

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Fox as Foreign Secretary and Shelburne in charge of Home, Irish and Colonial Affairs

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as Secretary of State for the Southern Department.

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As Commander-in-Chief for America, the new ministry confirmed North's decision to replace

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the discredited Clinton with Sir Guy Carlton, the old hero of the Canadian campaign.

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The entire new cabinet was united in deciding on military strategy.

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While peace was being negotiated, the British Army was to be completely evacuated from the

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United States and transferred to Halifax or the West Indies.

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Shortages and inefficiencies in handling supplies and transports, however, delayed the evacuation.

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Savannah was evacuated on July 11, 1782, and its force moved to Charleston.

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The latter was evacuated on December 14, 300 British ships carrying out of the harbor a

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multitude consisting of the British Army, about 4,000 Tories and about 5,000 of their

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Negro slaves.

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By the time peace was declared, only New York City was left in British hands.