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)
