How Did William Pitt Influence American Politics
William Pitt became Prime Minister in 1783 at just 24 years old. He came to power soon after the American War of Independence (1776-1783). Britain's status as a superpower had been undermined by this loss, and she was now isolated in Europe. The war had left Britain with huge national debt, and the dramatic fall in exports to America meant that her finances were also in an awful state. It was in this climate of political instability that Pitt became Prime Minister of Britain. He faced huge opposition in the House of Commons at the start of his rule. His was nicknamed the 'Mince Pie Administration' because people thought that it would be over by Christmas. Far from this, he went on to rule Britain for over ten years. It has since been keenly
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debated whether Pitt in fact dominated politics during this reign.
The main opposition to Pitt was Fox (leader of the Whigs). The Whig Party had previously existed as a group of families competing for power but their common concern for issues such as the excessive power of the monarchy united them. North had been the Tory Prime Minister when Britain lost the American War of Independence. The King had to remove North from office in order to please the public. The Whigs saw their chance to get into power but the King would not appoint Fox due to his anti-monarchical beliefs. Pitt described himself as an independent Whig but later became a Tory. He was wholly unconnected to the immensely unpopular North administration and had traditional values (including a belief in the monarchy). It was under these circumstances that he was appointed as Prime Minister. A lack of effective opposition therefore contributed to the length of Pitt's rule, some would argue more so than his actual domination of politics.
As Pitt came to power he faced massive opposition. In the House of Common's there was a 70-100 majority against him. He was forced to form a minority government, where he would use the authority of the King to pass legislation. His cabinet ministers were mostly Lords and therefore couldn't support him in the House of Commons. At just 24 years old, few believed Pitt capable of dealing with the complex problems in Britain at the time. To combat this immense opposition, Pitt organised another general election for 1784 in order to gain more support within the House of Commons. The election was not actually due, so the King unconstitutionally brought it forward for him. The vote helped Pitt to gain the support he needed to get his bills passed, and showed the strength of his alliance with the King.
Pitt's family had played a key role in his coming to power, since both his Father and his Uncle had been First Ministers.
British politics at the time was highly corrupt. People were sent to parliament on the basis of their wealth and connections rather than actual ability. Patronage was commonplace. This was the process by which an MP was sent to parliament by recommendation of an influential contact. The person making the recommendation would be under some pressure to choose good people (in terms of their own reputation) but the process was wholly undemocratic. The existence of rotten boroughs also shows the dishonest nature of politics at the time. These were deserted towns that still sent an MP to parliament from times when their populations were larger. It was easy for a politician to bribe the inhabitants of such a town, since votes were cast publicly on noisy stages called hustings. Pitt's family connections were therefore key to his political success. His alliance with the King was also highly valuable to him. Without George III Pitt could never have gotten into power. His dependency on the King was reflected in his actions over the Regency Crisis. In late 1788 George III became mentally ill. Fox quickly went to the Prince Regent for support (in order that he could gain power through royal patronage, of which he had always claimed to be a fierce critic) and hoped to get into office since the current King was no longer fit to rule. However the Prince was unpopular …show more content…
with the public because he was heavily in debt and had secretly married a Catholic. Pitt could not continue to rule without the support of the existing King but it was clear that George III's reign could not last for much longer. The Regency Bill of 1788 said that the Prince of Wales could only rule whilst the King was ill, and even then with limited power. The Whigs predictably opposed the bill (since it would stop them taking power), claiming that it was an unfair restriction on the power of the crown. However, a substantial part of the Whig Party's policy was based on the limitation of monarchical power and the elimination of royal patronage from the British political system. It was clear that the party had abandoned their principles in order to get into power. Pitt criticised them for it and his bill was passed through Parliament. However before the legislation could be implemented the King got better and ended the process.
Finances were a huge problem when Pitt came to power. The expense of the American War of Independence coupled with a general inefficiency in collecting excise duties had taken their toll, leaving the country £243 million in debt. To deal with the problem Pitt introduced new taxes, reduced smuggling and created a far more efficient method of tax collection. Roughly 20% of Britain's imports at the time were connected to smuggling. The Commutation Act 1784 reduced taxes on tea from 119% to 25%. This undercut the smugglers, so that the profit was no longer worth the risk of being hung. This policy proved so successful that it was later extended to wines, spirits and tobacco. Pitt was one of the most efficient tax collectors to govern England. His taxation policy followed the idea that everyone should pay a share, but that the poor should not be overburdened. However Christie views some of his financial measures as rather desperate and unsuccessful improvisations. For example in 1784 he increased taxes on calicos, muslins and other textiles. When manufacturers were unhappy with the policy it was immediately repealed. Many also question whether it was Pitt alone who deserves credit. Charles Jenhinson and Lord Hawkesbury were personal friends at the Treasury who helped him to make and implement his decisions. From 1786, the Foreign Secretary Lord Camarthen also became increasingly influential in the financial department. Aided by this advice and help, some would argue that Pitt did not dominate politics as an individual, but rather used the expertise of those closest to him to make decisions which would keep him in power.
When Pitt came to power, inefficient administration was a huge problem. He did not want to provoke opposition through radical reform so he went about implementing his ideas cautiously. Sinecures and placemen (people who owed their jobs to a favour from the government or crown) were to lapse on the death of their occupants. Over the next twenty years the majority of posts that public accounts commissioners had recommended be abolished were. A Treasury Commission of Audit was created in 1785 to tighten the regulation of public spending. The Consolidated Fund Act 1787 meant that most government money would be paid into a single account, from which individual departments would bid for a share. This was designed to give the Treasury more control over government spending. Naval spending was also tightened, although this was largely down to Sir Charles Middleton. Although government administration improved dramatically under Pitt, questions have since been asked about whether the credit lies solely with him. Competent administrators were encouraged to make decisions of their own throughout his rule, and once again he relied heavily on the advice of others to devise and implement his policies.
A major criticism of Pitt has been his unwillingness to enforce any controversial policies. It could be argued that rather than actually dominating politics, Pitt ran a 'puppet government' in order to avoid upsetting anyone and therefore to stay in power. An example of this is his attitude towards religion. Many people were calling for the abolishment of the Anglican Church because they resented its formality. Pitt took the safe option and sided with the establishment.
A major aim for Pitt when coming to power was to recover the country's economy.
Between 1783 and 1790, the value of Britain's imports doubled to £20 million whilst exports rose from £12.5 million in 1782 to over £20 million in 1790. With the new, more effective taxes this also increased government revenue. Industry and trade flourished under Pitt, and his commercial improvements were a major achievement. However the United States was becoming a threat to Britain's commercial supremacy. Pitt's proposal to reduce trade barriers was rejected by the Committee of Trade so instead he re-enforced the Navigation Acts. Imports and exports between Britain and America were to be transported by British ships. American shipping was excluded from the West Indian islands in 1783, and trade with America via French and Spanish islands was made illegal. This enabled Britain to maintain her commercial domination. After losing the American War of Independence, the government had looked to India and the East for potentially large markets. Pitt introduced the East India Act 1784, which split the control of India between the East India Company and a committee which sat in London, and would report to parliament. In 1783, Britain was isolated in Europe. There were important commercial reasons to end this, so Pitt entered talks with other European countries about free trade. The Eden Treaty 1786 meant that French wine would be sold at the same price as Portuguese. France also reduced their tariffs on
British imports by 10-15%. Silk markets however were excluded from the agreement, since it faced huge British opposition.
Pitt did rule Britain unchallenged for over ten years. He undoubtedly implemented some very successful policies, and solved many of the country's problems. He faced huge opposition at the beginning of his rule, and successfully turned the situation around. Far from the predicted 'mince pie administration'; Pitt went on to maintain his power extremely effectively at a very difficult time for Britain. The King needed to appoint someone who would maintain the stability of the country, and Pitt did this very well. However his decisions were deliberately non-controversial. The longevity of his rule was largely down to the lack of a plausible opposition. Fox could not get into government whilst royal patronage was still in practise. A monarch simply would not appoint him, as doing so would threaten their position. Pitt was well connected in terms of his family and also with the King. His powerful friends undoubtedly contributed to his maintenance of power. Throughout his rule, Pitt used those around him to make policies. Many of the decisions he made were based on the advice of others. He repealed anything that proved unpopular to protect his position as Prime Minister. It is therefore difficult to argue that Pitt actually dominated politics from 1783-1793, since as an individual he was easily dissuaded in the face of opposition.
debated whether Pitt in fact dominated politics during this reign.
The main opposition to Pitt was Fox (leader of the Whigs). The Whig Party had previously existed as a group of families competing for power but their common concern for issues such as the excessive power of the monarchy united them. North had been the Tory Prime Minister when Britain lost the American War of Independence. The King had to remove North from office in order to please the public. The Whigs saw their chance to get into power but the King would not appoint Fox due to his anti-monarchical beliefs. Pitt described himself as an independent Whig but later became a Tory. He was wholly unconnected to the immensely unpopular North administration and had traditional values (including a belief in the monarchy). It was under these circumstances that he was appointed as Prime Minister. A lack of effective opposition therefore contributed to the length of Pitt's rule, some would argue more so than his actual domination of politics.
As Pitt came to power he faced massive opposition. In the House of Common's there was a 70-100 majority against him. He was forced to form a minority government, where he would use the authority of the King to pass legislation. His cabinet ministers were mostly Lords and therefore couldn't support him in the House of Commons. At just 24 years old, few believed Pitt capable of dealing with the complex problems in Britain at the time. To combat this immense opposition, Pitt organised another general election for 1784 in order to gain more support within the House of Commons. The election was not actually due, so the King unconstitutionally brought it forward for him. The vote helped Pitt to gain the support he needed to get his bills passed, and showed the strength of his alliance with the King.
Pitt's family had played a key role in his coming to power, since both his Father and his Uncle had been First Ministers.
British politics at the time was highly corrupt. People were sent to parliament on the basis of their wealth and connections rather than actual ability. Patronage was commonplace. This was the process by which an MP was sent to parliament by recommendation of an influential contact. The person making the recommendation would be under some pressure to choose good people (in terms of their own reputation) but the process was wholly undemocratic. The existence of rotten boroughs also shows the dishonest nature of politics at the time. These were deserted towns that still sent an MP to parliament from times when their populations were larger. It was easy for a politician to bribe the inhabitants of such a town, since votes were cast publicly on noisy stages called hustings. Pitt's family connections were therefore key to his political success. His alliance with the King was also highly valuable to him. Without George III Pitt could never have gotten into power. His dependency on the King was reflected in his actions over the Regency Crisis. In late 1788 George III became mentally ill. Fox quickly went to the Prince Regent for support (in order that he could gain power through royal patronage, of which he had always claimed to be a fierce critic) and hoped to get into office since the current King was no longer fit to rule. However the Prince was unpopular …show more content…
with the public because he was heavily in debt and had secretly married a Catholic. Pitt could not continue to rule without the support of the existing King but it was clear that George III's reign could not last for much longer. The Regency Bill of 1788 said that the Prince of Wales could only rule whilst the King was ill, and even then with limited power. The Whigs predictably opposed the bill (since it would stop them taking power), claiming that it was an unfair restriction on the power of the crown. However, a substantial part of the Whig Party's policy was based on the limitation of monarchical power and the elimination of royal patronage from the British political system. It was clear that the party had abandoned their principles in order to get into power. Pitt criticised them for it and his bill was passed through Parliament. However before the legislation could be implemented the King got better and ended the process.
Finances were a huge problem when Pitt came to power. The expense of the American War of Independence coupled with a general inefficiency in collecting excise duties had taken their toll, leaving the country £243 million in debt. To deal with the problem Pitt introduced new taxes, reduced smuggling and created a far more efficient method of tax collection. Roughly 20% of Britain's imports at the time were connected to smuggling. The Commutation Act 1784 reduced taxes on tea from 119% to 25%. This undercut the smugglers, so that the profit was no longer worth the risk of being hung. This policy proved so successful that it was later extended to wines, spirits and tobacco. Pitt was one of the most efficient tax collectors to govern England. His taxation policy followed the idea that everyone should pay a share, but that the poor should not be overburdened. However Christie views some of his financial measures as rather desperate and unsuccessful improvisations. For example in 1784 he increased taxes on calicos, muslins and other textiles. When manufacturers were unhappy with the policy it was immediately repealed. Many also question whether it was Pitt alone who deserves credit. Charles Jenhinson and Lord Hawkesbury were personal friends at the Treasury who helped him to make and implement his decisions. From 1786, the Foreign Secretary Lord Camarthen also became increasingly influential in the financial department. Aided by this advice and help, some would argue that Pitt did not dominate politics as an individual, but rather used the expertise of those closest to him to make decisions which would keep him in power.
When Pitt came to power, inefficient administration was a huge problem. He did not want to provoke opposition through radical reform so he went about implementing his ideas cautiously. Sinecures and placemen (people who owed their jobs to a favour from the government or crown) were to lapse on the death of their occupants. Over the next twenty years the majority of posts that public accounts commissioners had recommended be abolished were. A Treasury Commission of Audit was created in 1785 to tighten the regulation of public spending. The Consolidated Fund Act 1787 meant that most government money would be paid into a single account, from which individual departments would bid for a share. This was designed to give the Treasury more control over government spending. Naval spending was also tightened, although this was largely down to Sir Charles Middleton. Although government administration improved dramatically under Pitt, questions have since been asked about whether the credit lies solely with him. Competent administrators were encouraged to make decisions of their own throughout his rule, and once again he relied heavily on the advice of others to devise and implement his policies.
A major criticism of Pitt has been his unwillingness to enforce any controversial policies. It could be argued that rather than actually dominating politics, Pitt ran a 'puppet government' in order to avoid upsetting anyone and therefore to stay in power. An example of this is his attitude towards religion. Many people were calling for the abolishment of the Anglican Church because they resented its formality. Pitt took the safe option and sided with the establishment.
A major aim for Pitt when coming to power was to recover the country's economy.
Between 1783 and 1790, the value of Britain's imports doubled to £20 million whilst exports rose from £12.5 million in 1782 to over £20 million in 1790. With the new, more effective taxes this also increased government revenue. Industry and trade flourished under Pitt, and his commercial improvements were a major achievement. However the United States was becoming a threat to Britain's commercial supremacy. Pitt's proposal to reduce trade barriers was rejected by the Committee of Trade so instead he re-enforced the Navigation Acts. Imports and exports between Britain and America were to be transported by British ships. American shipping was excluded from the West Indian islands in 1783, and trade with America via French and Spanish islands was made illegal. This enabled Britain to maintain her commercial domination. After losing the American War of Independence, the government had looked to India and the East for potentially large markets. Pitt introduced the East India Act 1784, which split the control of India between the East India Company and a committee which sat in London, and would report to parliament. In 1783, Britain was isolated in Europe. There were important commercial reasons to end this, so Pitt entered talks with other European countries about free trade. The Eden Treaty 1786 meant that French wine would be sold at the same price as Portuguese. France also reduced their tariffs on
British imports by 10-15%. Silk markets however were excluded from the agreement, since it faced huge British opposition.
Pitt did rule Britain unchallenged for over ten years. He undoubtedly implemented some very successful policies, and solved many of the country's problems. He faced huge opposition at the beginning of his rule, and successfully turned the situation around. Far from the predicted 'mince pie administration'; Pitt went on to maintain his power extremely effectively at a very difficult time for Britain. The King needed to appoint someone who would maintain the stability of the country, and Pitt did this very well. However his decisions were deliberately non-controversial. The longevity of his rule was largely down to the lack of a plausible opposition. Fox could not get into government whilst royal patronage was still in practise. A monarch simply would not appoint him, as doing so would threaten their position. Pitt was well connected in terms of his family and also with the King. His powerful friends undoubtedly contributed to his maintenance of power. Throughout his rule, Pitt used those around him to make policies. Many of the decisions he made were based on the advice of others. He repealed anything that proved unpopular to protect his position as Prime Minister. It is therefore difficult to argue that Pitt actually dominated politics from 1783-1793, since as an individual he was easily dissuaded in the face of opposition.