Pitt as Prime Minister

1783-1806, Pitt as British Prime Minister Overview, A-Level History

Who is William Pitt?

Youngest Prime Minister (24 years old).

What years did William Pitt serve as PM?

1783-1801, 1804-06

Who was William Pitt’s father?

Father was Pitt the elder, who was respected for helping bring greatness to Britain by winning the 7 years war (1756-63).

Who was Pitt’s main rival?

Fox (whig).

When and why did Pitt die?

1806.

From a peptic ulcer.

(His last words were ‘Oh, my country! How I leave my country’).

How were new laws passed?

House of Commons, then House of Lords, then signed by monarch.

How did someone become a member of House of Lords?

Be a lord. You get a title from the King, or you inherit the title from the parents.

How did someone become an MP (HOC)?

You are elected.

In the HOC, who are the two benches for?

Government. Opposition.

Who could vote in the 1700s?

Upper-class rich men.

Men owning land, property needed to be worth 40 shillings a year.

What does ‘40 shilling freeholders’ mean?

Owners of property worth 40 shillings a year. They could vote.

What percentage of the population was able to vote?

5% (or 3%… it depends which source you use)

Name 2 industrial cities that had no MPs.

Birmingham & Manchester & Leeds

Which class were MPs + Lords from?

Upper

Name 3 of the Tory’s ideas.

• Preserve the status quo (keep existing system). Oppose parliamentary reform.

• Defend existing powers of the Crown (monarch).

• Defend the privileges of the Established Anglican Protestant Church

• Strong support for the interests of the landed agricultural upper class.

• Strict law and order.

Name 3 of the Whigs ideas.

• Wanted to reduce the powers of the crown.

• Defenders of the parliamentary government and making ministers accountable to parliament.

• Supporters of moderate parliamentary reform (e.g. extend the vote).

• Favoured religious toleration of dissenters.

• Sympathy for the interests of the growing middle classes.

What was the British political system?

It was a Parliamentary Monarchy

What did Parliament do?

Passed laws and controlled the right to tax.

What did the Monarch do in Parliament?

Appointed ministers. Could influence politics by using his powers of patronage, and support of the ‘King’s Friends’. Signed laws.

What does ‘powers of patronage’ mean?

Gaining loyalty and support for himself and his choice of Prime Minister.

He does this through his right to appoint people into offices of state.

Who are the ‘King’s Friends’?

Family, close connections, and government officials in the Commons and Lords.

What problem emerged during 1782-83 for the British Political system?

• 4 Governments fell in quick succession.

• This made people question King George III’s judgement (he chose the government).

• Britain’s political system seemed unstable.

• Political instability risked damaging the economy.

Who did George III appoint as prime minister in 1783?

William Pitt

What problems were caused by the ‘population explosion’ in the 1780s?

• Unemployment

• Food harder to come by

• Land harder to come by

• Living conditions poor, more people made cities and houses crowded.

Who held the power in society in the 1780s?

Upper class.

What 2 classes did the industrial revolution create?

Working class.

Middle class.

What was the established religion in the 1780s?

Anglican protestant (C of E)

Who was the Head of Established church?

Monarch (‘Defender of Faith’)

What happened to others of different religion?

They were seen as second class.

When was the American war of independence?

1775-83

When was the French Revolution?

1789

What 3 words were used in the French Revolution?

Fraternity, Liberty, Equality

What did the revolutions spur in Britain?

A want for reform and change in the British Parliamentary system. More radicals.

How long did Parliament go before another election.

7 years.

What were rotten boroughs?

Where originally, they were centres of population but had since declined.

This meant that, e.g., in a Rotten borough, there may be 32 electors and 2 MPs making it easy to buy votes.

What were pocket boroughs?

Controlled by land owning family

They persuaded electors to vote for a certain candidate 

Most tenants feared disobeying their landlord

(You can remember this as the voters were in the ‘pocket’ of the landowners)

What was the nature/atmosphere of elections and voting?

Voting took place on an open public – ‘husting’. Dirty tricks, drunkenness, rioting = common. No secret ballot, so voters would be/ could be bribed or intimidated.

What did the Bill of Rights 1689 do?

Forced monarchy to share power with Parliament.

Forced monarchy to share power with Parliament.

King could use the King’s Friends to influence politics (they voted for who or what he wanted).

King could use his powers of patronage.

Using this he could gain loyalty and support for himself and his choice of Prime Minister.

King was able to appoint Prime Minister and other people to other jobs.

What was the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution was a period of scientific and technological development in the 18th century that transformed largely rural, agrarian societies into industrialised, urban ones.

Increased trade in Europe and the world.

How did the Landed Upper Class make money?

• Renting out farms

• Renting out town properties

• Invested in government stocks.

Who were the middle class?

Needed to earn a living, but owned property.

Lived mainly in growing provincial (far away from large cities) towns.

They started pressuring for a share in political power (to reflect their power in the economy).

Who were the working population?

Majority of society.

Earned wages through manual work (agriculture/industrial).

Vulnerable to unemployment/economic slumps.

How was Catholicism viewed in Britain?

• Anti-Catholic attitude ran deep.

• Catholics were seen as two-faced and untrustworthy. They conflicted themselves and having loyalty to the Monarch and the Pope, who was a foreign influence.

• In Ireland, 80% of Population were Catholic

How many governments were there 1782-83?

4

What did this cause?

Political instability

What did this make people think about the King?

That his judgement couldn’t be trusted.

Name the 4 governments that fell in quick succession.

1. Lord North

2. Marquess of Rockingham

3. Earl of Shelburne

4. Duke Portland

Who was Lord North?

• Seen as Tory.

• King’s Favourite

• Very loyal

• Did not want to reduce royal powers

• Forced to resign when British troops surrendered to America (1775-83)

Who was Marquess of Rockingham

• Whig

• Died in 1782

Who was Earl of Shelburne?

• Whig

• Made William Pitt the exchequer chancellor

• Forced to resign

• Criticised for making treaty with America too lenient.

Who was Duke of Portland?

• Known as Fox-North coalition (Fox = Whig, North = Tory)

• Their contradictory views about royal power meant they were accused of being power hungry, at the expense of their beliefs.

• Accused of putting ‘Power over Principle’

• The India Bill 1783 caused them problems.

• FN were criticised for using the India Bill 1783 to get loyalty and support for themselves in Parliament (Many politicians wanted to get an East Indian position).

What was the India Bill 1783?

By Fox and North.

In 1783 India was a British colony.

Fox and North (FN) proposed that the East India Company (a massive, powerful company, that had their own army and tax) should run India with a board of commissioners, that are chosen by the government.

What did King George say about the India Bill 1783?

King George III stepped in and used the support of the King’s friends in the House of Lords to defeat the Bill

FN resigned and the Portland government collapsed.

18th Dec 1983, the King appointed 24 years old William Pitt ‘the Younger’ as PM.

When did Pitt come into power?

18th December 1783

What did opponents name Pitt’s government? Why?

Mince Pie Administration.

They didn’t think that it would last past Christmas.

Name 3 overview weaknesses of Pitt’s Government.

1. Pitt was a minority government

2. Pitt’s young age

3. Britain faced serious problems.

Explain each reason: 1 (Minority government)

Pitt’s Government was appointed, not elected.

Pitt’s Government did not have the majority of MP seats in the House of Commons.

This meant that it was difficult for Pitt to pass legislation (laws).

• Pitt could only rely on 149 MPs. Even with the support from independent MPs, he was still 60 short of majority.

• Ex-ministers and supporters led by Fox & North numbered 230. Opposition appeared strong.

• Pitt wanted to be the head of government and seem like he was the one who was in charge.

Explain each reason: 2 (Pitt’s age)

Pitt was 24 when he came into power. They called him ‘Pitt the Younger’.

Critics felt as though he was young and inexperienced.

Critics said that ‘England had been entrusted with a school boy’.

Explain each reason: 3

• Population explosion

• High costs of the 7 year war (1756-63) - The Seven Years' War was a global conflict involving most of the European great powers, fought primarily in Europe and the Americas. One of the opposing alliances was led by Great Britain and Prussia. The other alliance was led by France, backed by Spain, Saxony, Sweden, and Russia.

• American war costs (1776-1783)

• Loss of American colonies had damaged prestige (reputation). This helped cause the economic slump.

• Political instability as 4 governments fell in quick succession 1782-3

Name 3 of the overview strengths of Pitt’s Government.

1. ‘Chip off the old block’

2. Pitt built support outside parliament

3. Pitt vs Fox

4. Inside Parliament

5. Pitt had the support of the King.

Explain each reason: 1 (‘Chip off the old block’)

• Pitt’s father, form of Prime Minister, Pitt ‘the Elder’.

• Many MPs and voters remembered his father as being someone who had led Britain to victory in the 7 Years War.

• They hoped Pitt would bring national revival.

Explain each reason: 2 (Pitt built support outside parliament)

• He had reputation as reformer and someone who put country over personal financial needs.

• He showed command of financial needs.

Explain each reason: 3 (Pitt vs Fox)

• Pitt showed integrity.

• Pitt showed honesty.

• Fox was seen as putting ‘Power over Principle’

• Fox took down his own prime minister in favour of power.

Explain each reason: 4 (Inside Parliament)

• Convinced King George III to hold an election only when he was ready.

Until then:

• Used Commons to display his             debating and financial skills, and impress & divide opposition.

• Impress independent MPs Robinson helped Pitt by using financial persuasion to convince some independent MPs to side with Pitt.

• March 1784 Pitt’s plan and tactics had worked. He had reduced the opposition’s majority to single figures.

Explain each reason: 5 (Pitt had the support of the King)

George III had influence over many MPs and Lords.

King agreed to call a general election when Pitt when felt comfortable enough to win.

The King called for a General Election in March 1784

What was Pitt’s situation in parliament in March 1784?

• Opposition’s majority had fallen to 1.

• Support out of parliament was rising.

What did Pitt ask the King to do?

Pitt asked George III to dissolve parliament and call a general election.

Why did Pitt ask the King in March 1784?

Pitt felt that the timing was right to cement his hold on power.

Why was the King’s intervention controversial?

Parliament was limited to 7 years. Current parliament had only lasted since 1780.

George III blatantly exercised his powers to benefit Pitt.

What did opposition say about the March 1784 election?

Opposition said that it was unconstitutional to dissolve parliament early and call a general election.

What was Pitt and the King’s response to people labelling it as ‘unconstitutional’?

Said it was unconventional but not unconstitutional.

Did Pitt win the 1784 March election?

Yes.

Why did the General election help Pitt dominate politics?

• Pitt then had a majority

• Pitt, with majority, could pass laws to deal with problems.

• Britain had a stable government.

How did Pitt’s personal qualities influence the election result?

Pitt was independent, and people appreciated. He’s wasn’t just a royal puppet.

Pitt had good leadership qualities.

He was seen as honourable. He was calm.

How did the support of the King influence the election result?

He agreed to call an early election.

Crown supporters (185 MPs) helped Pitt.

How did the unpopularity of the Fox-North Coalition influence the election result?

People saw Pitt as the only other alternative.

Fox was seen as dishonourable.

North was unpopular for losing America, and the India Bill 1783.

Both seen for looking for Power over Principal.

What was Pitt's India Act 1784

• 1784 Act: set up joint control of India and the East India Board of Control. This ensured parliamentary control sat in London and answerable to Parliament.

• Board of control made sure that parliamentary control was uppermost and supervised policy towards India and the military and political activities of the Company.

• The distribution of patronage and commercial operations was kept in the Company’s hands.

Why was Pitt’s India Act 1784 significant for his domination of politics and political stability?

• Trade improved, which boosted support and confidence in Pitt.

• Pitt had tackled a long standing problem within a short time of becoming PM (act was just after election).

When was the Warren Hastings trial?

1788-95 (lasted 7 years!)

Who was Warren Hastings?

Ex Governor-general of Bengal

What does Governor General mean?

Governor-general = King’s representative in each area of empire).

What was Warren Hastings accused of?

Accused of tyranny and extortion in his dealings with Indian princes and peoples.

Who was he accused by?

Burke, Fox and Sheridan (who were all WHIGS)

What did Pitt do?

Despite the king being opposed, Pitt let the trial go ahead.

How did the trial end?

Ended in the complete acquittal (let off), and bankruptcy of Hastings.

Why was the trial significant for Pitt?

Showed Pitt was independent. (Whigs wanted aggressive trial, King didn’t want the trial to go ahead at all).

Pitt allowed a fair trial to go ahead, which showed he was impartial.

Name 5 reasons (minimum) why British people were unhappy from 1793-1801.

1. Population was rising

2. Employment (lack of + how tough it was)

3. Living conditions

4. Machines

5. Education

6. Voting

7. MPs

8. Lack of representation in parliament

9. Fear of French invasion.

Explain each reason: 1 (Population rising)

Population rising:

Made jobs, food and farm land more difficult to come by.

Explain each reason: 2 (Employment (lack of + how tough it was))

Employment (lack of + how tough it was)

Employment in factories was tough. There were long hours (16hrs a day), low wages, dark and stuffy workrooms, strict and cruel overseers and dangerous machinery. Workers were distressed and discontented. People were miserable, and desperate for change.

Jobs were hard to come by (due to the growing population).

Explain each reason: 3 (Living Conditions)

Living conditions

Living conditions in the cities were poor. Population growth increased population density, and made the cities even more crowded. (In Manchester 20,000 people lived in windowless cellars).

Explain each reason: 4 (Machines)

Machines

Machines were cheaper and more efficient than humans - so their development increased unemployment. Examples of machines taking peoples’ jobs: power loom, steam threshing machine.

Explain each reason: 5 (Education)

Education

Education was limited to the rich.

Poor people stayed poor because they had no education to allow them to take better jobs.

Explain each reason: 6 (Voting)

Voting

Only 3% of the population could vote (400,000). This meant there was no pressure on parliament to pass any laws that benefit the poorer classes.

Explain each reason: 7 (MPs)

MPs

MPs were unpaid. Only rich could get into parliament as they didn’t need a wage. The poor needed a wage to survive, so they couldn’t be MP as they wouldn’t have any money.

Explain each reason: 8 (Lack of representation in parliament)

Lack of representation in parliament

Northern towns/cities had a lack of representation (they had no MPs). Small southern villages had many MPs. Northerners felt that their problems were not understood or cared about in parliament.

Explain each reason: 9 (Fear of French invasion)

Fear of French invasion.

Revolutionary wars (Britain went to war with France) in 1793. People wanted greater security.

Name 3 things that Pitt did to prevent the war making social and economic grievances worse?

1. Wages kept stable

2. Sinking fund and national debt

3. Direct taxation

4. Pitt loaned money to European allies

5. Pitt strengthened the navy

6. Martello towers were built

Explain each reason: 1 (Wages kept stable)

Wages kept stable

Also, some workers were moved into the armed forces (helped as rent = paid. Food = bought. Poor weren’t pushed to despair).

Explain each reason: 2 (Sinking fund and national debt)

Sinking fund and national debt

Pitt dipped into Sinking Fund.

Pitt borrowed money from abroad (Bank of England and sold government stocks). Pitt held off taxing public for as long as possible.