Inside the Vault: The Olive Branch Petition

In July 1775, colonists tried to avoid the American Revolution by sending a petition to King George III. Known as the Olive Branch Petition, the document declared their loyalty to the Crown while demanding redress of their grievances. The king rejected the Olive Branch Petition before even reading it, and the Continental Congress authorized the arming of vessels for war in response.

On July 3, 2025, our curators discussed the Olive Branch Petition with Dr. Denver Brunsman, Associate Professor of History at George Washington University.

Download the slides from the presentation here.

FEATURED DOCUMENTS

• Journal of . . . Congress . . . 1775
• Reaction to the rejection of the Olive Branch Petition by Congress

USE THE TIMESTAMPS TO JUMP TO THE TOPIC YOU WANT TO VIEW

0:40–3:51: Today’s Document
3:53–9:40: Interpreting the American Revolution
9:41–13:46: Three Imperial Crises
13:49–17:52: The Revolutionary War
17:54–18:52: Independence Hall
18:54–20:20: British Olive Branch Petition 
20:22–23:07: John Dickinson
23:08–24:58: Journal of Congress
25:00–32:32: Olive Branch Petition 
32:33–36:16: King George rejects the petition 
36:18–38:59: Congress’s response
39:09–59:48: Q&A

RELATED RESOURCES

• Essay: “The Proclamation, Reading, and Immediate Reception of the Declaration of Independence” by John R. Vile (History Now 69 [Winter 2023], “The Reception and Impact of the Declaration of Independence, 1776–1826”)
• Essay: “Colonists Divided: A Revolution and a Civil War” by Elise Stevens Wilson (History Now 21 [Fall 2009], “Teaching the Revolution”)
• Essay: “The Road to Revolution” by T. H. Breen
• Lesson Plan: The American Revolution: The Boston Massacre, “Yankee Doodle,” and the Declaration of Independence, 1770–1776
• Lesson Plan: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere: Literature v. History
• Lesson Plan: The Declaration of Independence, 1776
• Lesson Plan: Black Women and the American Revolution
• Lesson Plan: Boston Massacre: Paul Revere and Captain Thomas Preston
• Lesson Plan: Spain and the American Revolution: Contributions to the Patriot Cause
• Spotlight on a Primary Source: A British view of rebellious Boston, 1774
• Spotlight on a Primary Source: A plan for a new government, 1775
• Spotlight on a Primary Source: Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, 1775