During theAmerican Revolution, a significant element of the population of theThirteen Colonies remained loyal to theBritish crown. However, since then, aside from a few considerations in the 1780s, there has not been any serious movement supporting monarchy in theUnited States although a small number of prominent individuals have, from time to time, advocated the concept.
During theAmerican Revolution, those American colonists who stayed loyal to the British crown were termed "Loyalists". Historians have estimated that between 15 and 20% of the 2,000,000 whites in the colonies in 1775 were Loyalists (300,000–400,000).[1] American Loyalists that resettled inBritish North America would be given the title of "United Empire Loyalist".[2]
The revolutionary war officially ended in 1783 with the signing of theTreaty of Paris. This marked the official end of monarchy in the American states withGeorge III of the United Kingdom being the last monarch.[3][4]
In the 1780s, in the period between the American Revolution and the ratification of theUnited States Constitution, several propositions for creating an independent monarchy were considered.
On May 22, 1782, theNewburgh letter was sent toGeorge Washington who was camped atNewburgh, New York; written for the army officers byColonelLewis Nicola, it proposed that Washington should become the King of theUnited States.[5] Washington reacted very strongly against the suggestion, and was greatly troubled by it, turning it down in favor of arepublican government.[6][7][note 1]
In 1786, thePresident of the Continental Congress,Nathaniel Gorham, acting in possible concert with other persons influential in the government of theUnited States, is reported to have offered the crown toHenry of Prussia, a prince of theHouse of Hohenzollern and brother ofFrederick the Great, possibly with the aim of resolving the ongoing political crises occurring during the last days of theArticles of Confederation.[11] According toRufus King, Gorham secretly corresponded with Prince Henry of Prussia for this purpose.[12] The attempt may have died due to a lack of interest on Henry's part, popular opposition to a rumored proposal involving a different potential monarch, the convening of thePhiladelphia Convention, or some combination thereof.[citation needed]
Alexander Hamilton argued in a long speech before theConstitutional Convention of 1787 that thePresident of the United States should be anelective monarch, ruling for "good behavior" (i.e.,for life, unlessimpeached) and with extensive powers. Hamilton believed that elective monarchs had sufficient power domestically to resist foreign corruption, yet there was enough domestic control over their behavior to prevent tyranny at home.[13] Hamilton argued, "And let me observe that an executive is less dangerous to the liberties of the people when in office during life than for seven years. It may be said this constitutes as an elective monarchy... But by making the executive subject to impeachment, the term 'monarchy' cannot apply..."[14] His proposal was resoundingly voted down in favor of a four-year term with the possibility of reelection.
In his later defense ofthe Constitution inThe Federalist Papers, he often hints that a lifetime executive might be better, even as he praises the system with the four-year term. Political scientistErik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn wrote that Hamilton "regretted that the United States could not become a monarchy."[15]
Since the ratification of the constitution, support for monarchy has possessed a generally low popularity, though it has increased slightly over time. In 1950, 3% of Americans said it would be a good idea for America to possess a royal family, while 93% thought it would be bad. This question was re-asked in 1999, where 11% of Americans answered that in favor of a royal family would be good for the United States and 87% against.[16] A 2013 CNN poll found that 13% of Americans would be open to the United States possessing a royal family again.[17] A 2018 poll asking if America would be better or worse if it possessed aconstitutional monarchy had 11% of Americans answering better and 36% answering worse.[18] A 2021 poll byYouGov found that 5% of Americans would consider it a good thing for the United States to have a monarchy (7% support among men and 4% support among women), with 69% answering that it would be a bad thing. In the YouGov poll,African Americans were most likely to answer positively in favor of a monarchy at 10% support.[19] In 2023 another poll was conducted which found 12% of Americans favored monarchy in the United States while 63% remained opposed.[20]
TheConstantian Society, founded in 1970 by Randall J. Dicks, was a political group devoted to promoting the system ofconstitutional monarchy as a superior form of government, though its activities ceased with its founder's death in 1999.[21][22]
The Monarchists of America is a political group that is devoted to promoting monarchism in the United States.[23]
Some notable American monarchists include:
