During the American Revolutionary War, the king of England was King George III. He reigned from 1760 to 1820 and is often associated with the colonial policies that led to tensions between Great Britain and its American colonies, ultimately culminating in the revolution. His attempts to exert control over the colonies through taxation and legislation without representation caused widespread discontent. King George III's refusal to compromise with the colonies and his portrayal as a tyrant in revolutionary rhetoric motivated the colonists in their fight for independence and played a significant role in shaping the ideological foundation of the new nation.