William Pitt the Younger IN THE SAME SERIES General Editors: Eric J.Evans and P.D.King Lynn Abrams Bismarck and the German Empire 1871–1918 David Arnold The Age of Discovery 1400–1600 A.L.Beier The Problem of the Poor in Tudor and Early Stuart England Martin Blinkhorn Democracy and Civil War in Spain 1931–1939 Martin Blinkhorn Mussolini and Fascist Italy Robert M.Bliss Restoration England 1660–1688 Stephen Constantine Lloyd George Stephen Constantine Social Conditions in Britain 1918–1939 Susan Doran Elizabeth I and Religion 1558–1603 Christopher Durston Charles I Christopher Durston James I Eric J.Evans The Great Reform Act of 1832 Eric J.Evans Political Parties in Britain 1783–1867 Eric J.Evans Sir Robert Peel Peter Gaunt The British Wars 1637–1651 Dick Geary Hitler and Nazism John Gooch The Unification of Italy Alexander Grant Henry VII M.J.Heale The American Revolution Ruth Henig The Origins of the First World War Ruth Henig The Origins of the Second World War 1933–1939 Ruth Henig Versailles and After 1919–1933 Ruth Henig The Weimar Republic 1919–1933 P.D.King Charlemagne Stephen J.Lee Peter the Great Stephen J.Lee The Thirty Years War John Lowe Britain and Foreign Affairs 1815–1885 J.M.MacKenzie The Partition of Africa 1880–1900 John W.Mason The Cold War 1945–1991 Michael Mullett Calvin Michael Mullett The Counter-Reformation Michael Mullett James II and English Politics 1678–1688 Michael Mullett Luther D.G.Newcombe Henry VIII and the English Reformation Robert Pearce Attlee’s Labour Governments 1945–51 Gordon Phillips The Rise of the Labour Party 1893–1931 John Plowright Regency England Hans A.Pohlsander The Emperor Constantine Roger Price Napoleon III and the Second Empire J.H.Shennan France before the Revolution J.H.Shennan International Relations in Europe 1689–1789 J.H.Shennan Louis XIV Margaret Shennan The Rise of Brandenburg-Prussia David Shatter Augustus Caesar David Shatter The Fall of the Roman Republic David Shatter Nero David Shatter Roman Britain David Shatter Tiberius Caesar Richard Stoneman Alexander the Great Keith J.Stringer The Reign of Stephen John Thorley Athenian Democracy Geoffrey Treasure Richelieu and Mazarin John K.Walton Chartism John K.Walton Disraeli John K.Walton The Second Reform Act Michael J.Winstanley Gladstone and the Liberal Party Michael J.Winstanley Ireland and the Land Question 1800–1922 Alan Wood The Origins of the Russian Revolution 1861–1917 Alan Wood Stalin and Stalinism Austin Woolrych England Without a King 1649–1660 LANCASTER PAMPHLETS William Pitt the Younger Eric J.Evans London and New York First published 1999 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004. Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 ©1999 Eric J.Evans All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Evans, Eric J., William Pitt the Younger/Eric J.Evans. p. cm—(Lancaster pamphlets) Includes bibliographical references (p. ). 1. Pitt, William, 1759–1806. 2. Great Britain—Politics and government—1760–1820. 3. Prime ministers—Great Britain—Biography. I. Title. II. Series. DA522.P6E93 1999 941.07’3’092–dc21 98–47724 ISBN 0-203-43572-9 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-74396-2 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-13285-1 (Print Edition) Contents Foreword ix Acknowledgements xi Time Chart xiii 1 The Making of a Prime Minister 1 2 Pitt the Political Reformer 10 3 Pitt and the ‘National Revival’, 1783–93 17 4 Foreign and Commercial Policy, 1783–91 25 5 Pitt, Party and Monarchy 34 6 A Nation at War, 1793–1801 44 7 Pitt, Patriotism and Reform in the 1790s 54 8 The Importance of Ireland 62 9 The Closing Years, 1801–6 71 10 Conclusion and Assessment 79 Further Reading 88 vii Foreword Lancaster Pamphlets offer concise and up-to-date accounts of major historical topics, primarily for the help of students preparing for Advanced Level examinations, though they should also be of value to those pursuing introductory courses in universities and other institutions of higher education. Without being all-embracing, their aims are to bring some of the central themes or problems confronting students and teachers into sharper focus than the textbook writer can hope to do; to provide the reader with some of the results of recent research which the textbook may not embody; and to stimulate thought about the whole interpretation of the topic under discussion. ix Acknowledgements I am extremely grateful to my co-editor, David King, and to Jen Carr for reading through the manuscript and for making their characteristically careful and helpful suggestions. I am also grateful to Heather McCallum for her patience in waiting for the delivery of this manuscript while a Series Editor wrestled with the problems of being Head of Department. All errors are, of course, my own responsibility. Eric J.Evans Lancaster September 1998 xi Time Chart 1759 28 May: Pitt born at Hayes Place, south London, the second son of William Pitt the Elder and his wife Hester Grenville 1773 Attends Cambridge University but in residence there mostly from 1776–79 1780 December: Pitt elected MP for Appleby (Westmorland), aged 21 years and 7 months; takes his seat in the Commons, January 1781 1782 July: Becomes Chancellor of the Exchequer in Shelburne’s administration, aged 23 years and 1 month; serves throughout Shelburne’s prime ministership, resigning with him in February 1783 1783 September: Treaty of Versailles formally gives independence to the American colonies; 19 December: Pitt accepts George III’s invitation to become Prime Minister, aged 24 years and 7 months; in the early months he has no majority in the Commons 1784 March: General election gives Pitt a comfortable majority over his main opponents, Charles James Fox and Lord North; his government now secure; Pitt’s Commutation Act begins his financial and taxation reforms, greatly reducing duties on tea 1785 Pitt introduces parliamentary reform bill which is defeated in the Commons by 74 votes; no ministry introduces parliamentary reform again until Grey in March 1831; tax on shops introduced, but it fails to produce anticipated revenue; Pitt introduces proposals for mutually reduced tariffs between Britain and Ireland but the legislature of both countries reject them 1786 Pitt establishes sinking fund to reduce government debt; the Eden Trade Treaty signed between England and France xiii 1787 ‘Free ports’ agreement between Britain and United States begins to rebuild trading relationship between the two countries 1788 April: Alliance with Dutch ends Britain’s diplomatic isolation in Europe; accession of Prussia in August creates the Triple Alliance; October: beginnings of King’s illness (often thought to be porphyria) which rendered him incapable of discharging his duties; the Regency crisis threatens to end Pitt’s ministry, since the Prince of Wales was anti-Pitt 1789 February: King’s recovery ends the Regency crisis and secures Pitt’s position; July: fall of the Bastille prison in Paris begins French Revolution 1790 First signs of division within Foxite Whig party with publication of Burke s Reflections on the Revolution in France; Burke and Fox publicly fall out 1791 Publication of Part I of Tom Paine’s Rights of Man as counterblast to Burke’s book helps to develop radical consciousness in Britain; anti-reform activity—the Priestley Riots—in Birmingham; Pitt declares that Britain will be neutral in any European war launched against French revolutionaries 1792 Publication of Part II of Rights of Man; London Corresponding Society formed; radical Whigs form Society of the Friends of the People; Royal Proclamations against Seditious Writings indicate growing government concern about democratic movements in Britain 1793 February: First Coalition against France signed by Britain, Prussia, Holland, Spain and Austria; the coalition had fallen apart by 1795; Britain declares war on France 1794 May: government suspends Habeas Corpus Amendment Act as rising radical activity in Britain causes alarm; July: split within opposition Whig camp widened when Duke of Portland and other conservative Whigs join with Pitt in a pro-war and anti-reform coalition; Pitt’s majority in the Commons and Lords now huge on most issues 1795 Beginnings of economic crisis and rising food prices stimulate radical and democratic organisations in many towns and cities; much support for a ‘patriotic’ and anti-reformist line also; June- October: unsuccessful support to counter-revolutionaries in France; war goes badly in most areas; Holland over-run and becomes ‘Batavian Republic’; declares war on Britain; December: passage of the ‘Two Acts’: Treasonable Practices and Seditious Meetings helps to reduce numbers supporting radical societies and to drive radicalism underground xiv 1796 Peace talks between Britain and France fail; October: Spain enters war against Britain; December: attempted French invasion of Britain from Ireland fails 1797 Year of crisis in both the economy and the war; Pitt considers resignation; February: Bank of England suspends cash payments as British debt soars; French attempt