Issued August 23, 1775, the Declaration of Rebellion was the British Crown’s official announcement that it considered the nascent American revolution to be an illegal insurrection. It was written shortly after the British had learned the outcome of the Battle of Bunker Hill, which, though they had won, resulted in over 1,000 British casualties. In the declaration, King George III insisted that the rebellion was led by a small group of radicals who did not represent the populace. He empowered both British officials and private subjects to suppress what he called an “uprising.” This Declaration had the opposite of its intended effect. The strong language from the government in London pushed many colonists further into the revolutionary camp, including strengthening support in the Continental Congress for a complete separation from Great Britain. The Declaration of Independence would be signed by the Continental Congress less than a year after receiving this Declaration. It was rendered null and void in 1782 when Britain recognized American independence.