William Pitt

30/07/176614/10/1768
William Pitt

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 1708 – 11 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain in the middle of the 18th century. Historians call him Pitt of Chatham, or William Pitt the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, William Pitt the Younger, who also was a prime minister. Pitt was also known as the Great Commoner, because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.

Pitt was a member of the British cabinet and its informal leader from 1756 to 1761 (with a brief interlude in 1757), during the Seven Years' War (including the French and Indian War in the American colonies). He again led the ministry, holding the official title of Lord Privy Seal, between 1766 and 1768. Much of his power came from his brilliant oratory. He was out of power for most of his career and became well known for his attacks on the government, such as those on Walpole's corruption in the 1730s, Hanoverian subsidies in the 1740s, peace with France in the 1760s, and the uncompromising policy towards the American colonies in the 1770s.

Pitt is best known as the wartime political leader of Britain in the Seven Years' War, especially for his single-minded devotion to victory over France, a victory which ultimately solidified Britain's dominance over world affairs. He is also known for his popular appeal, his opposition to corruption in government, his support for the American position in the run-up to the American Revolutionary War, his advocacy of British greatness, expansionism and empire, and his antagonism toward Britain's chief enemies and rivals for colonial power, Spain and France. Marie Peters argues his statesmanship was based on a clear, consistent, and distinct appreciation of the value of the Empire.

The British parliamentary historian P. D. G. Thomas argued that Pitt's power was based not on his family connections but on the extraordinary parliamentary skills by which he dominated the House of Commons. He displayed a commanding manner, brilliant rhetoric, and sharp debating skills that cleverly utilised broad literary and historical knowledge. Scholars rank him highly among all British prime ministers.


0 comments

Comment
No comments avaliable.

Author

Info

Published in 10/09/2020

Updated in 19/02/2021

All events in the topic U.K. - Prime Ministers:


03/04/172111/02/1742Robert WalpoleRobert Walpole
16/02/174202/07/1743Spencer ComptonSpencer Compton
27/08/174306/03/1754Henry PelhamHenry Pelham
16/03/175411/11/1756Thomas Pelham-HollesThomas Pelham-Holles
16/11/175629/06/1757William CavendishWilliam Cavendish
29/06/175726/05/1762Thomas Pelham-HollesThomas Pelham-Holles
26/05/176208/04/1763John StuartJohn Stuart
16/04/176310/07/1765George GrenvilleGeorge Grenville
13/07/176530/07/1766Charles Watson-WentworthCharles Watson-Wentworth
30/07/176614/10/1768William PittWilliam Pitt
14/10/176828/01/1770Augustus FitzRoyAugustus FitzRoy
28/01/177027/03/1782Frederick NorthFrederick North
27/03/178201/07/1782Charles Watson-WentworthCharles Watson-Wentworth
04/07/178226/03/1783William PettyWilliam Petty
02/04/178318/12/1783William Cavendish-BentinckWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck
19/12/178314/03/1801William PittWilliam Pitt
17/03/180110/05/1804Henry AddingtonHenry Addington
10/05/180423/01/1806William PittWilliam Pitt
11/02/180625/03/1807William GrenvilleWilliam Grenville
31/03/180704/10/1809William Cavendish-BentinckWilliam Cavendish-Bentinck
04/10/180911/05/1812Spencer PercevalSpencer Perceval
08/06/181209/04/1827Robert JenkinsonRobert Jenkinson
12/04/182708/08/1827George CanningGeorge Canning
31/08/182708/01/1828Frederick John RobinsonFrederick John Robinson
22/01/182816/11/1830Arthur WellesleyArthur Wellesley
22/11/183009/07/1834Charles GreyCharles Grey
16/07/183414/11/1834William LambWilliam Lamb
17/11/183409/12/1834Arthur WellesleyArthur Wellesley
10/12/183408/04/1835Robert PeelRobert Peel
18/04/183530/08/1841William LambWilliam Lamb
30/08/184129/06/1846Robert PeelRobert Peel
30/06/184621/02/1852John RussellJohn Russell
23/02/185217/12/1852Edward Smith-StanleyEdward Smith-Stanley
19/12/185230/01/1855George Hamilton-GordonGeorge Hamilton-Gordon
06/02/185519/02/1858Henry John TempleHenry John Temple
20/02/185811/06/1859Edward Smith-StanleyEdward Smith-Stanley
12/06/185918/10/1865Henry John TempleHenry John Temple
29/10/186526/06/1866John RussellJohn Russell
28/06/186625/02/1868Edward Smith-StanleyEdward Smith-Stanley
27/02/186801/12/1868Benjamin DisraeliBenjamin Disraeli
03/12/186817/02/1874William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
20/02/187421/04/1880Benjamin DisraeliBenjamin Disraeli
23/04/188009/06/1885William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
23/06/188528/01/1886Robert Gascoyne-CecilRobert Gascoyne-Cecil
01/02/188620/07/1886William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
25/07/188611/08/1892Robert Gascoyne-CecilRobert Gascoyne-Cecil
15/08/189202/03/1894William Ewart GladstoneWilliam Ewart Gladstone
05/03/189422/06/1895Archibald PrimroseArchibald Primrose
25/06/189511/07/1902Robert Gascoyne-CecilRobert Gascoyne-Cecil
12/07/190204/12/1905Arthur BalfourArthur Balfour
05/12/190503/04/1908Henry Campbell-BannermanHenry Campbell-Bannerman
08/04/190805/12/1916H. H. AsquithH. H. Asquith
06/12/191619/10/1922David Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George
23/10/192220/05/1923Bonar LawBonar Law
22/05/192322/01/1924Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
22/01/192404/11/1924Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonald
04/11/192404/06/1929Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
05/06/192907/06/1935Ramsay MacDonaldRamsay MacDonald
07/06/193528/05/1937Stanley BaldwinStanley Baldwin
28/05/193710/05/1940Neville ChamberlainNeville Chamberlain
10/05/194026/07/1945Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
26/07/194526/10/1951Clement AttleeClement Attlee
26/10/195105/04/1955Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
06/04/195509/01/1957Anthony EdenAnthony Eden
10/01/195718/10/1963Harold MacmillanHarold Macmillan
19/10/196316/10/1964Alec Douglas-HomeAlec Douglas-Home
16/10/196419/06/1970Harold WilsonHarold Wilson
19/06/197004/03/1974Edward HeathEdward Heath
04/03/197405/04/1976Harold WilsonHarold Wilson
05/04/197604/05/1979James CallaghanJames Callaghan
04/05/197928/11/1990Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
28/11/199002/05/1997John MajorJohn Major
02/05/199727/06/2007Tony BlairTony Blair
27/06/200711/05/2010Gordon BrownGordon Brown
11/05/201013/07/2016David CameronDavid Cameron
13/07/201624/07/2019Theresa MayTheresa May
04/07/201910/09/2020Boris JohnsonBoris Johnson