The Duchess
by Amanda Foreman
CHRONOLOGY
1757 Birth of Lady Georgiana Spencer
First public concert in Philadelphia
1758 Colonel George Washington and John Forbes take Fort Duquesne, later renamed Pittsburgh
1760 George III becomes king on the death of his grandfather, George II1763 End of French and Indian War. Canada and Nova Scotia ceded to Britain
1769 Lord North becomes prime minister
1770 Boston Massacre
1774 Marriage of Lady Georgiana Spencer to 5th Duke of Devonshire
Continental Congress of Philadelphia1775 War of Independence starts
British Whig party states its support for the American colonists1782 George Washington’s victory over the British forces Prime Minister Lord North to resign
Lady Elizabeth Foster (Bess) enters Georgiana’s life1783 Peace declared between Britain and America
Birth of Georgiana’s first child, Lady Georgiana Cavendish1789 George III recovers from insanity. Resolution of the Regency crisis
George Washington inaugurated as president of the United States
Beginning of the French Revolution
Georgiana, the Duke, and Bess go to France1791 Georgiana sent into exile
Thomas Paine publishes The Rights of Man1793 Georgiana and Bess allowed to return to London
France declares war on Britain1796 Georgiana suffers catastrophic illness
George Washington refuses to accept a third term as president1806 The Whig party wins power
The Burr plot in the United States
Death of Prime Minister William Pitt, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and Charles James Fox
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