June 28, 2026 • 8 mins
Not every American joined the Revolution. Hundreds of thousands remained loyal to King George the Third. From William Franklin, the son of Benjamin Franklin, to royal governors, merchants and ordinary citizens, this episode examines the Americans who chose the Crown over independence and what their stories reveal about the monarchy’s view of the Revolution.
While no one truly knows what happens behind closed palace doors, this series uses news sources, on-the-record quotes, and some artistic license to craft this entertainment series. Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect. AI narration was used in creation of this series.
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While no one truly knows what happens behind closed palace doors, this series uses news sources, on-the-record quotes, and some artistic license to craft this entertainment series. Some moments have been dramatized for storytelling effect. AI narration was used in creation of this series.
Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!
Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!
We now have Merch! FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there’s free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Pallace Intrigue. I
am your host, Mark Francis. Two hundred and fifty years ago,
Britain was about to lose an empire. As America celebrates
its milestone anniversary. Palace Intrigue explores the Revolution from the
perspective of those who watched it unfold from London, King
(00:25):
George the Third, the Royal Court, Parliament, and millions of
Britain trained to make sense of events across the Atlantic
day by day on our afternoon episodes this week will
examine what they knew, what they misunderstood, and how the
loss of America transformed the monarchy forever. On the morning
of July third, seventeen seventy six, George the Third was
(00:46):
king of all thirteen American colonies. That statement sounds obvious,
It is also remarkably easy to forget. The following day,
a group of delegates meeting in Philadelphia would declare that
this was no longer true. What is often forgotten is
thathundreds of thousands of Americans disagreed with them. The American
Revolution is frequently remembered as a united colonial uprising against
(01:07):
a distant monarch. From the perspective of Saint James Pallace,
the reality looked very different. The colonies were divided, families argued,
communities split apart. Men who had once agreed on almost
everything suddenly found themselves on opposite sides of the most
important political question of their age. And nowhere was that
division more painful than within the family of Benjamin Franklin. Today,
(01:30):
Franklin occupies a place in American history that is almost
impossible to overstate. Inventor, diplomat, statesmen, and founding father. He
became one of the central figures of the Revolution. His
son chose a different path. William Franklin remained loyal to
George the Third as Royal Governor of New Jersey. William
had built a successful career within the imperial system. Unlike
(01:52):
many royal officials, he was not British by birth. He
was American. He had grown up in the colonies. His future,
he believed, was tied to the British Empire. As tensions escalated,
father and son drifted further apart. Benjamin moved steadily toward independence,
William remained committed to the crown. Eventually, the break became permanent.
In seventeen seventy six, revolutionary authorities arrested William Franklin and
(02:16):
imprisoned him for a time. He was held under harsh conditions.
The war eventually ended his political career in America and
destroyed his relationship with his father. Years later, Benjamin Franklin wrote,
nothing has ever affected me with so keen a sensation
as to find myself deserted in my old age by
my only son. It is one of the most heartbreaking
lines to emerge from the revolution. It is also a
(02:37):
reminder that this was not simply a war between Britain
and America. It was a war between Americans. One reason
the king remained convinced for so long that the rebellion
could be defeated was that he knew men like William
Franklin existed. Every report arriving from North America reminded him
that the colonies were not speaking with one voice. Loyalist
communities remained scattered throughout the Continentroyal governors continued to support
(03:01):
the Crown. Merchants, lawyers, clergy, and farmers still considered themselves
faithful subjects. To George. This was evidence that America had
not rejected him. America was arguing with itself. Another loyal
American whose story would have resonated deeply with the king
was Thomas Hutchinson, the last royal governor of Massachusetts. Like
(03:21):
William Franklin, Hutchinson was not an outsider as sent from London.
He was a massachusetts man through and through His family
had lived in New England for generations. He attended Harvard,
He built a successful career in Boston. He understood America
because America was his home. Yet he remained loyal to
the Crown. That loyalty came at a tremendous cost. In
seventeen sixty five, long before independence was declared, an angry
(03:44):
mob attacked Hutchinson's Boston home. The destruction was extraordinary. Furniture
was smashed, personal belongings were stolen, years of papers and
records were scattered or destroyed. John Adams, no friend of Hutchinson, politically,
later described it as one of the most disgraceful episodes
of the period. Hutcheson never fully recovered from the experience.
Eventually he departed for Britain, but he spent the remainder
(04:06):
of his life from exile. He wrote words that still
resonate nearly two hundred and fifty years later, I am
in exile from my native country, not Britain, America more
in just a moment. As the war progressed, Saint James
Pallace became a destination not only for military reports and
(04:26):
government dispatches, but also for appeals from loyal subjects whose
lives had been disrupted by the conflict. Governors, judges, merchants,
and military officers wrote to London describing conditions on the ground.
Their letters paying a picture far more complicated than the
story Americans would later tell about a united march toward independence.
(04:47):
One of the most influential loyalist voices was Joseph Galloway
of Pennsylvania. Galloway had attended the First Continental Congress. He
was hardly an obscure figure, standing at the fringes of events.
In fact, he spent much of the early crisis searching
for a compromise that might keep the colonies within the
Empire while granting them greater autonomy. Looking back, his proposals
(05:07):
can seem remarkably modern. What Galloway wanted was not unlike
the arrangements that would eventually emerge elsewhere in the Empire.
Generations later, the difficulty was at either side was prepared
to meet in the middle. His plan failed, the revolution
moved forward, and Galloway eventually found himself living in Britain
rather than Pennsylvania. Reflecting on the conflict, he argued that
(05:28):
the measures of the Congress have alienated the affections of
many thousands. The statement reveals how loyalists viewed the situation.
They did not believe the revolution spoke for all Americans.
They believed a vocal and determined movement had carried the
colonies in the direction many never wanted to go. Whether
they were right or Romans, and was beside the point.
What matters is that George the third believed them. The
(05:50):
King was not receiving reports from a continent united in rebellion.
He was receiving reports from a continent divided by politics
loyalty in war. That helps explain why the declaration of
Independence did not produce immediate despair at the Palace. If
substantial numbers of Americans remained loyal, then surely the rebellion
could still be defeated. If governors remained faithful, then surely
(06:12):
British authority could still be restored. If communities continued to
support the crown, then surely independence was not inevitable. History
would eventually prove otherwise. As the war turned against Britain,
the position of loyalists became increasingly precarious. Many faced intimidation,
Others lost property, some sort of businesses collapse. By the
final years of the conflict, thousands had concluded that remaining
(06:35):
in the newly independent United States was no longer possible.
The migration that followed became one of the largest population
movements in North American history. Entire families left. Many traveled
north onto Canada, Others crossed the Atlantic. Some arrived in
Britain carrying little more than documents describing what they had lost.
The Crown now faced a new responsibility. These people had
(06:55):
remained loyal. Many believed they had sacrificed homes, careers, and
fortunes because they try to the King and the British government.
What would happen to them now? The answer came in
the form of the Loyalist Claims Commission. Created after the war.
The commission heard thousands of claims from displaced loyalists seeking
compensation for losses suffered during the revolution. The records survived
(07:17):
to this day and offer an extraordinary window into the
human cost of the conflict. A merchant from New York
describing confiscated goods, a widow attempting to recover property, a
former official documenting the destruction of a life's work. Together
they formed something remarkable. If the Declaration of Independence is
one archive of the revolution, these files are another. One
(07:38):
records the people who built a new nation. The other
records the people who wanted to remain subjects of the king.
The revolution produced heroes and founders whose names would be
remembered for centuries, and also produced exiles, divided families, and
communities forced to make impossible choices. For every Benjamin Franklin,
there was a William Franklin, and for George the Third.
(07:59):
Those men and women from I mean proof that even
at the moment America broke away, a significant part of
America that chosen to stay loyal to the king, and
they have it. If you'd like to email us of
addresses the palaceintrig at gmail dot com, Please follow us
on Spotify, Apple and leave a comment on Spotify Today's Shows.
I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
(08:19):
Palace intrigue and IT terms
Calarogu Shark Media. Hello and welcome through Pallace Intrigue. I
am your host, Mark Francis. Two hundred and fifty years ago,
Britain was about to lose an empire. As America celebrates
its milestone anniversary. Palace Intrigue explores the Revolution from the
perspective of those who watched it unfold from London, King
(00:25):
George the Third, the Royal Court, Parliament, and millions of
Britain trained to make sense of events across the Atlantic
day by day on our afternoon episodes this week will
examine what they knew, what they misunderstood, and how the
loss of America transformed the monarchy forever. On the morning
of July third, seventeen seventy six, George the Third was
(00:46):
king of all thirteen American colonies. That statement sounds obvious,
It is also remarkably easy to forget. The following day,
a group of delegates meeting in Philadelphia would declare that
this was no longer true. What is often forgotten is
thathundreds of thousands of Americans disagreed with them. The American
Revolution is frequently remembered as a united colonial uprising against
(01:07):
a distant monarch. From the perspective of Saint James Pallace,
the reality looked very different. The colonies were divided, families argued,
communities split apart. Men who had once agreed on almost
everything suddenly found themselves on opposite sides of the most
important political question of their age. And nowhere was that
division more painful than within the family of Benjamin Franklin. Today,
(01:30):
Franklin occupies a place in American history that is almost
impossible to overstate. Inventor, diplomat, statesmen, and founding father. He
became one of the central figures of the Revolution. His
son chose a different path. William Franklin remained loyal to
George the Third as Royal Governor of New Jersey. William
had built a successful career within the imperial system. Unlike
(01:52):
many royal officials, he was not British by birth. He
was American. He had grown up in the colonies. His future,
he believed, was tied to the British Empire. As tensions escalated,
father and son drifted further apart. Benjamin moved steadily toward independence,
William remained committed to the crown. Eventually, the break became permanent.
In seventeen seventy six, revolutionary authorities arrested William Franklin and
(02:16):
imprisoned him for a time. He was held under harsh conditions.
The war eventually ended his political career in America and
destroyed his relationship with his father. Years later, Benjamin Franklin wrote,
nothing has ever affected me with so keen a sensation
as to find myself deserted in my old age by
my only son. It is one of the most heartbreaking
lines to emerge from the revolution. It is also a
(02:37):
reminder that this was not simply a war between Britain
and America. It was a war between Americans. One reason
the king remained convinced for so long that the rebellion
could be defeated was that he knew men like William
Franklin existed. Every report arriving from North America reminded him
that the colonies were not speaking with one voice. Loyalist
communities remained scattered throughout the Continentroyal governors continued to support
(03:01):
the Crown. Merchants, lawyers, clergy, and farmers still considered themselves
faithful subjects. To George. This was evidence that America had
not rejected him. America was arguing with itself. Another loyal
American whose story would have resonated deeply with the king
was Thomas Hutchinson, the last royal governor of Massachusetts. Like
(03:21):
William Franklin, Hutchinson was not an outsider as sent from London.
He was a massachusetts man through and through His family
had lived in New England for generations. He attended Harvard,
He built a successful career in Boston. He understood America
because America was his home. Yet he remained loyal to
the Crown. That loyalty came at a tremendous cost. In
seventeen sixty five, long before independence was declared, an angry
(03:44):
mob attacked Hutchinson's Boston home. The destruction was extraordinary. Furniture
was smashed, personal belongings were stolen, years of papers and
records were scattered or destroyed. John Adams, no friend of Hutchinson, politically,
later described it as one of the most disgraceful episodes
of the period. Hutcheson never fully recovered from the experience.
Eventually he departed for Britain, but he spent the remainder
(04:06):
of his life from exile. He wrote words that still
resonate nearly two hundred and fifty years later, I am
in exile from my native country, not Britain, America more
in just a moment. As the war progressed, Saint James
Pallace became a destination not only for military reports and
(04:26):
government dispatches, but also for appeals from loyal subjects whose
lives had been disrupted by the conflict. Governors, judges, merchants,
and military officers wrote to London describing conditions on the ground.
Their letters paying a picture far more complicated than the
story Americans would later tell about a united march toward independence.
(04:47):
One of the most influential loyalist voices was Joseph Galloway
of Pennsylvania. Galloway had attended the First Continental Congress. He
was hardly an obscure figure, standing at the fringes of events.
In fact, he spent much of the early crisis searching
for a compromise that might keep the colonies within the
Empire while granting them greater autonomy. Looking back, his proposals
(05:07):
can seem remarkably modern. What Galloway wanted was not unlike
the arrangements that would eventually emerge elsewhere in the Empire.
Generations later, the difficulty was at either side was prepared
to meet in the middle. His plan failed, the revolution
moved forward, and Galloway eventually found himself living in Britain
rather than Pennsylvania. Reflecting on the conflict, he argued that
(05:28):
the measures of the Congress have alienated the affections of
many thousands. The statement reveals how loyalists viewed the situation.
They did not believe the revolution spoke for all Americans.
They believed a vocal and determined movement had carried the
colonies in the direction many never wanted to go. Whether
they were right or Romans, and was beside the point.
What matters is that George the third believed them. The
(05:50):
King was not receiving reports from a continent united in rebellion.
He was receiving reports from a continent divided by politics
loyalty in war. That helps explain why the declaration of
Independence did not produce immediate despair at the Palace. If
substantial numbers of Americans remained loyal, then surely the rebellion
could still be defeated. If governors remained faithful, then surely
(06:12):
British authority could still be restored. If communities continued to
support the crown, then surely independence was not inevitable. History
would eventually prove otherwise. As the war turned against Britain,
the position of loyalists became increasingly precarious. Many faced intimidation,
Others lost property, some sort of businesses collapse. By the
final years of the conflict, thousands had concluded that remaining
(06:35):
in the newly independent United States was no longer possible.
The migration that followed became one of the largest population
movements in North American history. Entire families left. Many traveled
north onto Canada, Others crossed the Atlantic. Some arrived in
Britain carrying little more than documents describing what they had lost.
The Crown now faced a new responsibility. These people had
(06:55):
remained loyal. Many believed they had sacrificed homes, careers, and
fortunes because they try to the King and the British government.
What would happen to them now? The answer came in
the form of the Loyalist Claims Commission. Created after the war.
The commission heard thousands of claims from displaced loyalists seeking
compensation for losses suffered during the revolution. The records survived
(07:17):
to this day and offer an extraordinary window into the
human cost of the conflict. A merchant from New York
describing confiscated goods, a widow attempting to recover property, a
former official documenting the destruction of a life's work. Together
they formed something remarkable. If the Declaration of Independence is
one archive of the revolution, these files are another. One
(07:38):
records the people who built a new nation. The other
records the people who wanted to remain subjects of the king.
The revolution produced heroes and founders whose names would be
remembered for centuries, and also produced exiles, divided families, and
communities forced to make impossible choices. For every Benjamin Franklin,
there was a William Franklin, and for George the Third.
(07:59):
Those men and women from I mean proof that even
at the moment America broke away, a significant part of
America that chosen to stay loyal to the king, and
they have it. If you'd like to email us of
addresses the palaceintrig at gmail dot com, Please follow us
on Spotify, Apple and leave a comment on Spotify Today's Shows.
I'm Mark Francis my thanks to John McDermott. This is
(08:19):
Palace intrigue and IT terms
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