In 1779 in the midst of the American Revolution, this British caricature depicted America as a bucking horse and George III, King of Great Britain, as the rider being thrown. At this point in the struggle the United States had declared its independence, captured a large British army at Saratoga, and signed a treaty of alliance with France. Many British leaders had begun to voice their fears that Britain could not defeat the United States and force it back into its colonial status.