DEFINING THE CAUSE AND THE MONARCH'S POWER Colleague Joseph Ellis. Ellis explains that colonists adopted the term "the cause" to describe their diverse opposition to British policy and eventual desire for independence, covering various interest groups und

DEFINING THE CAUSE AND THE MONARCH'S POWER Colleague Joseph Ellis. Ellis explains that colonists adopted the term "the cause" to describe their diverse opposition to British policy and eventual desire for independence, covering various interest groups under one verbal canopy. He describes George III as a powerful monarch who controlled Parliament through treasury funds, viewing American independence as a domino theory threat to the British Empire. Ellis also notes Benjamin Franklin's failed attempts to preserve a commonwealth relationship before British humiliation pushed him toward independence. NUMBER 1
1761