On August 23, 1775, King George III of Great Britain issued the Proclamation by the King for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition. After the April 19, 1775, skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, the war of words and harassment mutated into one where the weapons were rifles and artillery. George III, urged by his advisers, felt it necessary to make a statement expressing his displeasure and the lack of tolerance for such rebellious actions. While independence from Great Britain was not yet an option openly discussed among the colonists, the Proclamation by the King for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition certainly moved colonists farther along that path. Many saw it as a declaration of war. It was evidence that the conspiracy against the colonists had reached the highest levels of the government and was not limited to colonial governors and Parliament. Both sides had engaged in brinkmanship and crossed the line; there was now little or no chance of reconciliation.