William Pitt
William Pitt, also called Pitt the Younger, was a Tory politician and member of the Parliament in the United Kingdom.
Contents
History
William Pitt was a younger son of William Pitt (same name), earl of Chatham. His father died in 1778.
Pitt began his legal career in 1780, and just a few months later stood for his first Parliamentary election. The next year, he earned the sponsorship of Charles Manners, duke of Rutland, which afforded him a pocket borough. He rose rapidly as an oppositional speaker, associating with Whigs such as Fox. When North resigned, Pitt was offered a minor position in the Watson-Wentworth ministry, but he declined. Watson-Wentworth nonetheless died just a few months later.
The rivalry between Pitt and Fox was created during the succeeding Petty government. Pitt entered government and was made chancellor. Fox meanwhile refused to serve in this cabinet, and formed a coalition with North that succeeded in forcing Petty's resignation within a year. From the opposition, he became a leading advocate for addressing rotten boroughs and bribery; the Whigs were split by these salient issues.
Goerge III strongly disfavored Fox and repeatedly pushed for Pitt to instead form a government. He managed to force things in late 1783, when the Commons passed the East India Bill to reform the failing East India Company. George declared to the Lords that anyone who voted for the bill would be his enemy. After the bill's defeat, he dismissed the government and appointed Pitt. At 24 he was and is the youngest PM in history.
Pitt however did not command a majority in the Commons. Despite immediately losing a vote of confidence, he refused to resign. Obviously he was supported by George; the Lords also passed motions of support for him.
Elections were called in March 1784 and handed Pitt a commanding majority. Pitt himself also switched to a competitive borough in this election; he now stood for Cambridge, which he has unsuccessfully contested in 1780.
The British Empire was significantly reformed under Pitt.
- He passed the Acts of Union in 1800. Therefore he is the last PM of Great Britain and the first PM of the UK.
The India Act reorganized the East India Company under a board by royal appointment. He also centralized power in the governor-general of India, placing the office above city governorships.
- To replace the prnal colonies in the now independent United States, he directed the eatablishment of New South Wales in 1788.
- He passed the Constitutional Act in 1791 to partition Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada.
- He entered into the Triple Alliance eith Prussia and the Netherlands to counter France.
- He countered smuggling of tobacco, etc., by lower tariffs on those products.
Another of Pitt's priorities was the national debt, as it had doubled through the American war. He instituted the first income tax. He also forestalled a bank run by barring the exchange of bank notes for gold.
While Prussia and Austria intervened in the French Revolution, Pitt sought to stay out. Goerge however directed him to either resign or declare war. This precipitated a reactionary suppression against advocates for civil reforms much like the issues Pitt had championed years before. The Seditious Meetings Act in 1795 and the Combination Acts in 1799 restricted right to assembly. A draft was introduced in the form of the Quota System; impressment also resumed. A massive spy network was also mobilized domestically.
Pitt failed to convince George to grant Catholic emancipation to coincide with the Acts of Union, so offered his resignation in February 1801. He entered the backbenches despite being offered a place in Addington's cabinet, and soon became a leading member of the opposition alongside Fox.
Addington was forced to resign in April 1804 and Pitt was selected to return as PM. He inherited the Napoleonic Wars, and in particular a series of devastating defeats for the coalition were suffered during his term. The Navy however did balloon under Pitt's direction.
Pitt's health rapidly declined while in office, and he died in January 1806.