Eventually, the German Hanover line of kings was introduced to England, and Great Britain blossomed under the two most indifferent and lackadaisical monarchs she has ever had: George I and George II.

Both men were foreigners, and wouldn't bother to learn English.  They were apparently content to live rather modest and unassuming lives at the expense of their subjects, without enlarging the court or otherwise imposing their wills on the people.

By this time, Parliament was far more active than it had been and was doing some unfortunate things.  Eventually, the power of the monarchy began to reassert itself with the ascendancy of King George III to the throne.

George admitted that his predecessors had not ruled well, if they had ruled at all - and even before he assumed the royal purple, he was making plans as to how to correct all of the economic "abuses" that had sprung up and how to obtain all of the tax money that hadn't been collected for many years.

Quite a few of the laws George wished to have passed had to do with the British colonies in the Americas.  Still others had to do with the domestic economy of Britain.

Here we come upon one of the little ironies and intersections of history with which we must contend.

Most scholars agree that the Industrial Revolution began in England in 1760.  That was also the same year that King George III came to the throne.

Now, King George was a fairly competent bureaucrat, and Britains first competent ruler since Elizabeth I.

Historians as a result are inclined to put these two facts together and to conclude that ino order to ensure economic advantages, there must be a competent politician in charge.

As we will soon see, nothing could be further from the truth.

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