Editing Kingdom of Great Britain (section)

===Age of George III, 1760–1820===
{{Further|George III of the United Kingdom}}

====Victory in the Seven Years' War, 1756–1763====
{{Main|Seven Years' War}}
The [[Seven Years' War]], which began in 1756, was the first war waged on a global scale and saw [[Great Britain in the Seven Years' War|British involvement]] in Europe, [[Company rule in India|India]], North America, the Caribbean, the Philippines, and coastal Africa. The results were highly favourable for Britain, and a major disaster for France. Key decisions were largely in the hands of [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt the Elder]]. The war started poorly. Britain [[Siege of Fort St Philip (1756)|lost the island of Minorca in 1756]], and suffered a series of defeats in North America. After years of setbacks and mediocre results, British luck turned in the "miracle year" ("Annus Mirabilis") of 1759. The British had entered the year anxious about a [[planned French Invasion of Britain (1759)|French invasion]], but by the end of the year, they were victorious in all theatres. In the Americas, they [[Battle of Ticonderoga (1759)|captured Fort Ticonderoga (Carillon)]], [[Forbes Expedition|drove the French out of the Ohio Country]], captured [[Quebec City]] in Canada as a result of the decisive [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]], and [[Invasion of Guadeloupe (1759)|captured the rich sugar island of Guadeloupe]] in the West Indies. In India, the John Company [[Siege of Madras|repulsed French forces besieging Madras]].

In Europe, British troops partook in a decisive Allied victory at the [[Battle of Minden]]. The victory over the French navy at the [[Battle of Lagos]] and the decisive [[Battle of Quiberon Bay]] ended threats of a French invasion, and confirmed Britain's reputation as the world's foremost naval power.<ref>{{Cite book |last=McLynn |first=Frank |title=1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World |date=2004 |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press |isbn=9780871138811 |ol=24769108M}}</ref> The [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris of 1763]] marked the high point of the First British Empire. France's future in North America ended, as [[New France]] (Quebec) came under British control. In India, the [[Carnatic Wars#Third Carnatic War (1756–1763)|third Carnatic War]] had left France still in control of several small [[French India|enclaves]], but with military restrictions and an obligation to support the British client states, effectively leaving the future of India to Great Britain. The British victory over France in the Seven Years' War therefore left Great Britain as the world's dominant colonial power, with a bitter France thirsting for revenge.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=Fred |title=The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War |date=2005 |publisher=Viking |isbn=0670034541 |ol=3426544M}}</ref>

====Evangelical religion and social reform====
{{Further|Church of England}}
The evangelical movement inside and outside the [[Church of England]] gained strength in the late 18th and early 19th century. The movement challenged the traditional religious sensibility that emphasised a code of honour for the upper class, and suitable behaviour for everyone else, together with faithful observances of rituals. [[John Wesley]] (1703–1791) and his followers preached revivalist religion, trying to convert individuals to a personal relationship with Christ through Bible reading, regular prayer, and especially the revival experience. Wesley himself preached 52,000 times, calling on men and women to "redeem the time" and save their souls. Wesley always operated inside the Church of England, but at his death, it set up outside institutions that became the [[Methodism|Methodist Church]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Armstrong |first=Anthony |title=The Church of England: the Methodists and society, 1700–1850 |date=1973}}</ref> It stood alongside the traditional nonconformist churches, Presbyterians, Congregationalist, Baptists, Unitarians and Quakers. The nonconformist churches, however, were less influenced by revivalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Briggs |first=Asa |title=The age of improvement, 1783–1867 |date=1959 |publisher=Longman |pages=66–73 |author-link=Asa Briggs}}</ref>

The Church of England remained dominant, but it had a growing evangelical, revivalist faction in the "Low Church". Its leaders included [[William Wilberforce]] and [[Hannah More]]. It reached the upper class through the [[Clapham Sect]]. It did not seek political reform, but rather the opportunity to save souls through political action by freeing slaves, abolishing the duel, prohibiting cruelty to children and animals, stopping gambling, and avoiding frivolity on the Sabbath; evangelicals read the Bible every day. All souls were equal in God's view, but not all bodies, so evangelicals did not challenge the hierarchical structure of English society.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rule |first=John |title=Albion's People: English Society 1714–1815 |date=1992 |chapter=Chapters 2–6}}</ref>