Background to Pitt becoming Prime Minister Flashcards
Who was Prime Minister from 1770 to 1782?
Lord North. He resigned in 1782 when it was clear that Britain had lost the American War of Independence.
Who was PM after Lord North?
Lord Rockingham, a Whig, became PM. The King did not like Rockingham, but he was the only person who could form a government. However, after just a few months, Rockingham died of the flu.
Who was PM after Rockingham’s death?
The King chose Shelburne to be PM. Shelburne was a Whig, and was a very unpopular choice with many Tories and with the many Whig MPs who followed Fox.
Why was Shelburne disliked?
Lord North and the Tories hated Shelburne’s lenient settlement with the USA. Fox had a personal hatred of Shelburne, believing he had ruined his father’s political career.
What happened once Shelburne was PM?
Fox and North formed the Fox-North coalition, made of Fox’s Whigs and North’s Tories. Fox and North had been enemies, but they joined together and made it impossible for Shelburne’s government to continue. The king had no choice but to dismiss Shelburne.
How was the Fox-North coalition seen?
A coalition between former enemies was seen as immoral by many independent eps and by many voters. Fox’s racial plans led the King to act. George III used his authority to remove Fox, North and Portland from the government.
Why did the King chose Pitt?
The king decided he needed someone different, someone who would be loyal to the king’s wishes.
How old was Pitt when he became PM?
24.
