What Was The Political Situation In 1783? Flashcards
Parties
-complicated working out elections results, vagueness of party lines, uncontested elections, independent candidates
-loose & shifting
-personal politics
-continual dilemma of having ministers who supported party & had confidence of King
-support for whigs & tories
Whigs
-whigamore
-under lord shaftesbury & wished to exclude Duke of York from throne due to his catholcism, favouring of monarchical absolutism & connections to France
-believed the heir presumptive, if allowed to inherit throne, end aged Protestant regiljon, liberty & property
-defenders of parliamentary government & accountability of ministers to parliament
-favour of religious toleration& became supporters of moderate parliamentary reform in 1820’s
-large position in 1783
Tories
-toraidhe
-faction “Tory” political party members, supported James Stuart, Duke of York, king James II & VII in succession to British throne during exclusion crisis of 1678 to 1681
-name original,y meant as insult by some as word Tory meant outlaw
-applied to those who upheld rights of crown, resisted removal of disabilities from catholics & dissenters, opposed parliamentary reform
-sir Robert peel replaced term Tory with conservative
-lost argument & lacks in young & new politicians, seen as being backward thinking
-mislead war with American for independence
Monarchy
-king chose own ministers
-made major decisions in government policy, especially foreign affairs, did so on advice of minsters
-controlled election of 30 MPs & could give titles and important posts in army & navy to those who supported him
-system good way of building support for King’s policies & ministers
Parliament
-king couldn’t rule without parliament
-called parliament because parliament renewed his income each year
-could force king to dismiss a ministers, king had to choose ministers who could work with parliament
-had to be a general election every 7 years
Instability of government
A stable government depended on working relationships between monarch & commons
Political climate in 1783
-after 1760, 10 years of instability
-lord north administration 1770
March 1782= north resigned
Lord North
-1770 to March 1782
-Tory
-good relationship with George III
Why did it fall?= Cornwallis’ defeat in America, independent MP,s swung against North & he resigns
Lord Rockingham
- march 1782 - July 1782
- Whig
- fox shelburne was key figure in administration
-George III detested administration & almost resigned rather than see them in power
Why did it fall?= death of rockingham & lack of organisation allowed king to appoint shelburne
Lord shelburne
-July 1782 - February 1783
-Whig
-Pitt (chancellor of exchequer) key figure in administration
-George III liked him
Why did it fall?=peace negotiations with America, opposition shuts defated him
Duke of Portland
-February 1783 - December 1783
-Whig
- fox & north are key figures in administration
-very poor relationship with George III, refuses to grant any peerages to the “infamous coalition”
Why did it fall?= India bill, parliamentary not Crown control of appointments, king’s scheming with temple in lords, told if the support act they are enemies, defeat of bill in lords
Pitt
-19th December 1783
-independent Whig
-no key figures in administration, very weak in commons
-good relationship with George III, granted peerages & influenced elections
Why did it fall?= 1801, catholic emancipation
Why did shelburne fail?
-miscalculated strength in commons
February= fox & north combined forces to defeat him, chose issue of American Peace negotiations
-significant defeat in commons led to shelburne’s resignation
-George III furious
How did George III dismiss the “infamous coalition”
-desperately tried to not allow coalition to form a government in first place, schemed against it from the start (George III)
-India bill(December 1783) gave him opportunity he had been looking for, “vigorous & handsome”,control of patronage by parliament not crown
-exerted massive influence in lords to reject bill, declaring anyone who supported it would be enemy
-on basis of defeat, dismissed coalition & appointed Pitt
East India company
-trading company that ruled India
-wealthy, hugely powerful interest in commons & city of London
-fox & burke proposed, described “vigorous & hazardous”, separation of powers building on north’s act of 1773
-government to govern India, east India company limited trading issues
-7 commissioners responsible for government of India, originally appointed for 4 years by government
