Section 1: Pitt the Younger Flashcards
How much of the population qualified to vote?
5% in the 1780s
What was a pocket borough?
Where land owners controlled/bribed who voted for what party
Who was the king at the time?
George III ruled 1760-1820
Who chose the PM?
The King
When was Pitt appointed Prime Minister?
December 1783
When did Pitt win the general election?
May 1784
Why was royal support important to Pitt?
- He had only been an MP for 4 yrs- inexperienced
- He wasn’t in the house of Lords
- He easily have been made powerless by opponents in the House of commons
- No real following and lacked charm
What was the nickname for Pitt’s government?
The mince pie ministry- because no one thought it would last past the Christmas of 1783
Why was Pitt’s election delayed?
King delayed election for Pitt to allow him time to gather followers and the King could convince the Lords not to vote for the Whigs
When was the regency crisis? What was it?
1788- King suffered a bout of mental illness and was unable to rule properly (He later relapsed in 1801 and 1804 and his son ruled as regent 1811-1820)
Who was the Whig leader/representative in 1780s?
Charles James Fox
What were the key WHIG WEAKNESSES in being unable to prevent Pit’s domination of power?
They were unable to exploit the Regency crisis or the mince pie ministry
What was the sinking fund?
Where money would be set aside from surplus revenue each year and used to help run down national debt
What were the successes of the sinking fund?
Reduced national debt by almost £11 million
Boosted business confidence so indirectly stimulated investment
What were the limitations of the sinking fund?
Wasn’t effective in wartime, as government had to borrow money at such a high rate
When was the sinking fund introduced?
1786
How did Pitt raise money during the ‘national revival’ 1783-1801?
Increases on indirect taxes and new taxes on more upper class items (e.g. Wig powder, personal transport)
What were the successes of how Pitt raised money?
Most people who bought these items were able to pay the this extra tax as they tended to be upper class and wealthy
What were the limitations of how Pitt raised money?
Extra tax always unpopular among the public, regardless of who was being taxed
How did Pitt reduce money loss? (1783-1801)
Hovering act
Reduced import duty
Less money paid to royal family
Bonded warehouses
What was the Hovering act?
1780: Ships hovering within 12 miles of the coastline could be searched- prevention of smuggling
How much did Pitt reduce the import duty on tea? Why?
Import duty of 119% reduced to 25% (commutation act 1784)- to reduce demand for cheaper smuggled tea, as with less tax it became more affordable
What was a limitation of reduced import duty/tax?
Gov. got less money from import tax and some money would always be lost to smuggling anyway
What was an advantage of the Hovering act and reduced import duty/tax?
Less smuggling- not worth the risk for little gain
Increases national revenue by £4 million (1783-91)
What were the advantages and disadvantages in paying less money to the royal family? (after 1786)
+ More money for gov
- Lowering of importance of royal family
What were bonded warehouses?
No tax on goods being stored but not sold in Britain
Why did Pitt introduce bonded warehouses?
To ensure that Britain remained a trading hub
What commercial reforms did Pitt make during the ‘national revival’?
Navigation act 1786
India act 1784
Eden Treaty 1786
What was Pitt’s aim in introducing these commercial reforms?
To stimulate international trade, keep British trade and encourage growth via free trade policies
What were the successes of Pitt’s commercial reforms?
Navigation act- allowed Britain to bring back commercial dominance of the UK
India act- corrupt trade reduced after regulation of the East India company
Eden treaty- UK’s industrial capacity allowed UK to exploit free trade relationship with France
What were the limitations of Pitt’s commercial reforms?
Eden treaty- commitment to free trade policies was limited and short lived (due to war)
No economic union with Ireland
What were Pitt’s administrative reforms during the ‘national revival’?
Appointment of strong administrators to take charge of departments
Gradually reduced sinecures
Increase gov. control over EIC through a board of control- on which 2 cabinet ministers sat
What were Pitt’s aims in his administrative reforms?
Improve leadership in offices
Stop political jobs being used as rewards for supporters/friends of the King
Control independence of the East India Company (EIC)
What were the successes of Pitt’s administrative reforms?
a: Improved dept. efficiency/work of administration overall
b: Sinecures ceased by 1806 + public saw it as proof that Pitt wasn’t a puppet of the king
c: more control over EIC- (which at the time owned parts of India and essentially had its own army)
What were the limitations of Pitt’s economic reforms?
B: Friends/supporters of the king would no longer be rewarded with sinecures and would resent this
C: Leaders of the EIC didn’t want its freedom restricted by the gov.
What financial reforms did Pitt make during the ‘national revival’?
Sinking fund 1786 Increases on indirect taxes New taxes Hovering act and reduced import duties Less money paid to royal family (1786) Bonded warehouses
What debt issue was Pitt faced with when he became prime minister?
National debt had risen by 91% just under £250 million by 1783 and the annual interest on this debt was £9 million
What was the issue that Pitt faced with government expenditure?
Gov expenditure exceeded income by £10.8 million in 1783
Whose idea was the sinking fund?
Idea was borrowed by Pitt from Walpole and Price
How was the sinking fund managed?
By a board of 6 commissioners
Who oversaw public expenditure?
The treasury commission of audit (1785)
What did the consolidated funds act do?
1787: replaced 103 (government) accounts with one single fund
What effect did the India act (1784) have?
In the 20 years after 1784, exports tripled and imports doubled
When did the French revolution begin?
1789
What was Pitt’s initial reaction to the French revolution?
Little fear that radicalism would spread to Britain
Justification recognised
Pitt seemed to believe that revolution would result in a constitutional monarchy (as Britain’s revolution had done many decades previous) or less idealistically that it would weaken France and prevent it threatening Britain
Who were two key influencers in Britain at the beginning of the French revolution?
Thomas Paine and Edmund Burke
Who was Thomas Paine?
Radical writer; wrote ‘Rights of man’ (1791) a response to Burke’s book
It quickly sold 200,000 copies
Paine advocated a republic in Britain; argued all men created equal and most influential writer of the time in Britain
Who was Edmund Burke?
Whig MP; wrote ‘reflections on the revolution in France’
Argued revolution was an attack on religion, property, society and traditions of monarchy and church
Supported by middle and upper class people who feared a working class uprising
What is a coup d’état?
A sudden, violent seizure of power from the government (usually by the military/army)
What is a protest?
A statement or action showing objection to something
What is a mutiny?
Armed forces disobey orders
What is a revolution?
A forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favour of a different system
When was the home office established?
March 1782
What was the Home office officially responsible for?
Issuing instructions on behalf of the King to officers of the crown, Lords Lieutenant and magistrates, mainly concerning law and order
What else did the home office do?
Operated a secret service in the UK
Protection of the public
Safeguarding individual rights and liberties
What was the reality (in general) of radical activity in the 1790s?
Little threat of revolution, late 1790s more radical than early 1790s
Early: mainly radical writings, and corresponding societies aiming for REFORM
Late: some planned uprisings/mutinies/rebellions but usually poorly organised, isolated or even fictitious
Mostly aimed for reform, over reaction of government
When and why were corresponding societies set up?
1791-2; following French revolution London c.s. + Sheffield constitutional society notably Cheap membership- largely working class correspondence with French radicals + promoted reform for UK, usually constitutional methods (e.g. pamphlets/leaflets and petitions)
What was the outcome of the corresponding societies?
Not much success as they lacked a national leader or clear direction
What was the national convention?
Nov-Dec 1793: Thomas Muir, Thomas Palmer; leading Scottish radicals organised a meeting of all British radical leaders in Edinburgh- quickly supressed by authorities
What was the outcome of the national convention?
Thomas Muir, Thomas Palmer, and 5 other leaders (including 2 of the London corresponding society) all found guilty of sedition and transported to Botany Bay Australia
When and what were the early 1790s radical riots?
March-May 1795: poor harvest led to shortage of wheat, prices soared, workers laid off and wages cut
wave of food riots- workers seizing stocks/taking over markets. In Devon alone there were 43 riots, Gov. attempts to impose conscription of milita also met with riots
What were the results of the early 1790s radical riots?
Prime minister, Pitt, agreed to recall parliament
Authorities forced to abandon recruitment completely
What was the Copenhagen Field meeting?
26th Oct 1795: Demonstration by London C.S. at Copenhagen Fields attended by approx. 40,000 to 100,000. Leaders of LCS blamed king for hunger/distress/parliamentary corruption
When did the attack on the King occur?
29th Oct 1795: King George III’s carriage booed and stoned (window broken) on his way to opening of parliament. Shouts of ‘down with Pitt’ and ‘no king’
(some reports say shots fired at coach)
What was the result of the attack on the King’s carriage?
The next day when George III attended theatre he was accompanied by over 300 soldiers and 500 constables
Who was the ‘radical eccentric’ and what did he do?
1795: Richard Brothers- claimed to be sent by God, see angels and predicted fall of London; which he claimed God halted under his pleas, declared he would perform miracles.
What was the outcome of the ‘radical eccentric’?
Didn’t develop due to poo organisation and eccentricity
Arrested for treason in 1795 after ‘prophesying’ King’s death and fall of monarchy
What was the United Irishmen incident?
Dec 1796: Following Insurrection Act, began to arm themselves. An attempt to land French forces on Bantry Bay (led by Wolf Tone) aborted due to stormy seas
Aimed to unite Catholics and Protestants to gain Irish independence
How serious was the threat posed by the United Irishmen?
They were prepared to use military methods but were poorly led and poorly organised
But they still made links with British based radical groups and promoted uprisings
What was the Spithead Naval mutiny?
April 1797: Sailor mutiny over poor pay, poor food and harsh discipline after their petitions were ignored.
Ordered to put to sea, crews mutinied
What was the outcome of the Spithead Naval mutiny?
Discipline quickly restored at Spithead by government concessions
What was the Nore Naval mutiny?
May-June 1797: Sailors at Nore (on Thames) mutinied over poor pay/food/harsh discipline. Led by Richard Parker member of LCS, some mutineers called for sailors input in selection of officers
Blockaded Thames and discussed defecting to France
What was the outcome of the Nore Naval mutiny?
Government executed 36 men, including Parker and over 400 flogged or permanently sent to the colonies
What was the incident of Father O’Coigley?
Feb-June 1798: Irish Catholic priest found with papers of possible strategies to be used in a French military invasion. Member of the U.I.
What was the outcome for Father O’Coigley?
He was executed and other radicals were imprisoned including Arthur O’Connor and former LCS leader John Binns
When was the rebellion in Ireland?
March-Oct 1798
What occurred during the rebellion in Ireland?
United Irishmen seized Dublin in March
Full scale rebellion began in May, with capture of lord Edward Fitzgerald
What was the outcome of the rebellion in Ireland?
UI suffered defeats in June at New Ross and Vinegar Hill, (Wexford) and in Ulster
Sept- rebels in Connaught defeated
Oct- Wolfe Tone captured and committed suicide
When was the 2nd wave of food riots?
1800-01
What occurred during the 2nd wave of food riots?
Caused by Napoleon’s blockade
Riots more centred in industrial towns
Radical Literature behind the scenes
Slogans “no war” “Damn Pitt” + “ a free constitution”
more organised and planned
upper class blamed for problems facing the crowd
When was the Black Lamp conspiracy?
1800-01
What occurred during the Black lamp conspiracy?
Secret societies in Lancashire/West Yorkshire actively prepared for an armed uprising
Secret meetings at night + rumours of secret buried weapons and military training
May have been linked to the United Englishmen + Despard conspiracy
What was the reality of the Black Lamp Conspiracy?
Details were sketchy and vague and may have been the fabrication of one gov. spy who was later dismissed for fabrication
When was the Despard conspiracy?
Nov 1802
What occurred during the Despard conspiracy?
Authorities arrested Col. Despard and 35 associates at the Oakley Arms pub, Lambeth, London
Former comrade of Lord Nelson, had been a member of the LCS + the UI
What was Despard arrested for?
Imprisoned under terms of suspension of Habeas Corpus act in 1798.
Alleged conspiracy; planned a coup d’état in London (to be a signal for an uprising in Yorkshire and Ireland)
(Later enacted in 1803 failed uprising led by Robert Emmett)
What was the outcome for Despard?
Despard and 5 others were executed in February 1803
Who led the London Corresponding society?
Hardy and Place- both radicals
When was Habeas Corpus act suspended and what did this mean?
Suspended 1794- meant political prisoners could be held indefinitely
What was the Seditious meetings act?
the act banned meetings of more than 50 people (with object of petitioning parliament or discuss any reform of church or state)
How did Pitt use ‘show trials’ to deter radicalism?
During ‘reign of terror’; notorious cases of Thomas Muir and Thomas Palmer- both sentenced to transportation to deter radicalism
Treason trials 1794- arrested leading radicals (Thomas Hardy/Thomas Erksine) (though they were not guilty)
How did Pitt use power of local magistrates to control radicalism?
monitored and discouraged radicalism: e.g. threatening to take away pub licences from those who allowed the meetings of radicals to take place on their premises
What were the two acts?
Treasonable and seditious practices act; broadened laws of treason
Seditious meetings act
What 3 conservative publications promoted Pitt’s propaganda?
The Oracle, The Sun, The True Briton
What was the common messages of the newspapers in support of Pitt?
Advancing virtues of the existing system and banded together all radicals as dangerous traitors and anarchists
Why were the Loyalists able to supress radicalism?
National membership, production and distribution of anti-radical propaganda, violent intimidation of known radicals, rallied popular support for the war effort, backing and support of gov (despite their violence), reality of ‘radical’ situation- they weren’t really a threat…
Who backed the loyalist associations?
Financially backed by the local propertied elite, magistrates and clergy men (not directly established as part of a government initiative) instead genuine popular responses to anti-radicalist feeling
Who were the main members of the loyalist associations?
Usually limited to middle class men and aristocrats, though whenever action was taken the working class were encouraged to participate
What were the two types of loyalist associations?
Church and King clubs
Reeves associations
What were the Reeves associations?
By 1792-3 many loyalist associations; most based on the most influential group Association for the Preservation of liberty and Property against Republicans and Leveller (APLP) founded by lawyer John Reeves in Nov 1792. APLP was nationwide with up to 2000 branches
What were the Church and King clubs?
Very Anglican, close links to loyalist associations. Prepared to use violence to combat the perceived threat to C of E (Church of England) Believed non-Anglican sects (Baptists/Unitarians/etc.) were encouraged by radicals.
Most serious disturbances Birmingham riot 1791 + Manchester riot 1792
What were the role and activities of loyalist associations?
At first concentrated on violent intimidation of radicals
From 1793 loyalists distributing anti-radical propaganda, raising funds for recruitment/dependants of dead/injured.
By 1804 evolved into 450,000 parliamentary defence force- the Volunteers
Why were the Whig opposition divided due to Whig weaknesses?
Fox had bad reputation as gambler/womaniser,
Fox’s argument in regency crisis supported outdated views of support of monarchy over Parliament,
Fox’s speeches extreme/exaggerated, Fox disliked by George III, Fox seen as unprincipled by joining with Lord North 1783, Outdated support for protectionism, extravagant £100,000 allowance for Prince of Wales
Why were Whig opposition weakened by Pitt’s skill?
Pitt’s speeches seemed detailed and reasoned, Pitt supported parliamentary reform and abolition of slavery which undercut Whig support
