When George III ascended to the throne of England in 1760, the American colonies were still loyal
subjects of the English crown. Just sixteen years later, the Second Continental Congress ratified the Declaration of Independence which declared the American intent to separate from English rule. What transpired during this very short interval to create this revolutionary transformation? Specifically, how did the political environments in both England and America shape the actions and responses that resulted in the creation of United States in 1783? Was the rupture of 1776 inevitable? The answer will also be an integral aspect of the course.

David K. McQuilkin has taught History and Political Science at various colleges and universities for more than forty years. In 1985, he joined the Department of History and Political Science at Bridgewater
College as a faculty member and department chair and retired as professor emeritus of History and Political Science in 2009. Since then, he has taught history and political science courses at Blue Ridge Community College, offered numerous LLI courses through JMU, made presentations on various topics and current events to local community organizations, written book reviews, and has served as a political analyst for WHSV.