The administration formed by the Pelhams in 1744, after the dismissal of Carteret, included many of Pitt's former Patriot allies, but Pitt was not granted a position because of continued ill-feeling by the King and leading Whigs about his views on Hanover. In connexion with the latter gracefully bestowed honour it may be mentioned that Pitt's domestic life was a singularly happy one. [40], Pitt's particular genius was to finance an army on the continent to drain French men and resources so that Britain might concentrate on what he held to be the vital spheres: Canada and the West Indies; whilst Clive successfully defeated Siraj ud-Daulah, (the last independent Nawab of Bengal) at Plassey (1757), securing India. On the contrary, his conduct after his retirement was distinguished by a moderation and disinterestedness which, as Edmund Burke|Burke has remarked, "set a seal upon his character." The scheme of amphibious raids was the only one of Pitt's policies during the war that was broadly a failure, although it did help briefly relieve pressure on the German front by tying down French troops on coastal protection service. The administration formed in 1746 lasted without material change until 1754. Newfoundland was at the time seen as possessing huge economic and strategic value because of the extensive fishing industry there.[61]. In 1767, Townshend produced the duties on tea, glass and paper, so offensive to the American colonists whom Chatham thought he understood. Or glaikit Charlie got his nieve in; Pitt's war around the world was largely successful. But a popular idol nearly always suffers by removal from immediate contact with the popular sympathy, be the motives for removal what they may. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1951). Pitt the Younger's father was an important British statesman, as was his maternal uncle, George Grenville. The war with Spain, in which he had urged the cabinet to take the initiative, proved inevitable; but he scorned to use the occasion for "altercation and recrimination," and spoke in support of the government measures for carrying on the war. In 1735 Pitt launched his belligerent political career by insulting King George II over his son's marriage and was dismissed from the army commission he had held since 1731. He was to form a government to become Prime Minister half a year later. File:William_Pitt,_1st_Earl_of_Chatham_by_Richard_Brompton.jpg licensed with PD-Art, PD-old-100 2009-03-30T02:47:22Z Dcoetzee 2400x3308 (1013121 Bytes) {{Information |Description=This set of images was gathered by [[User:Dcoetzee]] from the National Portrait Gallery, London website using a special tool. See Appendix I for a list. William Pitt 'The Elder', 1st Earl of Chatham Whig 1766 to 1768 "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it." Born 15 November 1708, Westminster, London Died 11 May. The entire revolution which much of his policy underwent in order to effect this object bears too close a resemblance to the sudden and inexplicable changes of front habitual to placemen of the Tadpole stamp to be altogether pleasant to contemplate in a politician of pure aims and lofty ambition. Taken together these appendixes serve as an index to articles on Pitt in the colonial newspapers. William Pitt, the Elder, also called (from 1766) 1st Earl of Chatham, Viscount Pitt of Burton-Pynsent, byname The Great Commoner, (born November 15, 1708, Londondied May 11, 1778, Hayes, Kent, England), British statesman, twice virtual prime minister (1756-61, 1766-68), who secured the transformation of his country into an imperial power. He made further land purchases and became one of the dominant political figures in the West Country, controlling seats such as the rotten borough of Old Sarum.[8]. In this strange state matters continued for about a year. Pitt married Lady Hester Grenville (b. November 8, 1720 - April 3, 1803), daughter of the 1st Countess Temple, on October 16, 1754. [62][63], Pitt had not been long out of office when he was solicited to return to it, and the solicitations were more than once renewed. From 1717 to 1721, Stanhope served as effective First Minister in the StanhopeSunderland Ministry,[11] and was a useful political contact for the Pitt family until the collapse of the South Sea Bubble, a disaster which engulfed the government. After this, the colonial war against Spain was almost entirely abandoned as British resources were switched towards fighting France in Europe as the War of the Austrian Succession had broken out. William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC (November 15, 1708 May 1, 1778) was a British Whig statesman who achieved his greatest fame as Secretary of State during the Seven Years' War that was fought between France and Great Britain, (known as the French and Indian War in North America), and who was later Prime Minister of Great Britain. When at length in October 1768 he tendered his resignation on the ground of shattered health, he did not fail to mention the dismissal of Amherst and Shelburne as a personal grievance. He was the younger son of Robert Pitt of Boconnoc, Cornwall, and grandson of Thomas Pitt (16531726), governor of Madras, who was known as "Diamond" Pitt because he sold a Regent diamond of extraordinary size to the Regent Orlans for around 135,000. As he realised the gravity of the American situation, Chatham re-entered the fray, declaring that he would "be in earnest for the public" and "a scarecrow of violence to the gentler warblers of the grove". [65] It was his discernment that selected Wolfe to lead the attack on Quebec, and gave him the opportunity of dying a victor on the heights of Abraham. With graceful unanimity all parties combined to show their sense of the national loss. [40], But material aggrandisement, though the only tangible, was not the only real or lasting effect of a war policy. His attention had been directed to the growing importance of the affairs of India, and there is evidence in his correspondence that he was meditating a comprehensive scheme for transferring much of the power of the East India Company to the crown, when he was withdrawn from public business in a manner that has always been regarded as somewhat mysterious. Britain ended the year victorious in every theatre of operations in which it was engaged, with Pitt receiving the credit for this.[57]. Pitt now launched an attack on such subsidies, playing to widespread anti-Hanoverian feelings in Britain. In response to Pitt's attacks, the British government decided not to pay a direct subsidy to Hanover, but instead to pass the money indirectly through Austriaa move which was considered more politically acceptable. By the acceptance of a peerage, the great commoner lost at least as much and as suddenly in popularity as he gained in dignity. The greatest of "the great men of England", the last and noblest of the Romans, was considered the embodiment of virtue, wisdom, patriotism, liberty, and temperance Pitt, "glorious and immortal", the "guardian of America", was the idol of the colonies A Son of Liberty in Bristol County, Massachusetts, paid him the ultimate tribute of identification with English liberty: "Our toast in general is,Magna Charta, the British Constitution,PITT and Liberty forever! He was the first to discern that public opinion, though generally slow to form and slow to act, is in the end the paramount power in the state; and he was the first to use it not in an emergency merely, but throughout a whole political career. [82], Samuel Johnson is reported to have said that "Walpole was a minister given by the king to the people, but Pitt was a minister given by the people to the king", and the remark correctly indicated Chatham's distinctive place among English statesmen. [84], Historians[who?] Pitt had stripped the home islands of troops to send on his expeditions, leaving Britain guarded by poorly trained militia and giving an opportunity for the French if they could land in enough force. in 1755 to 133.25m. [49] The French Invasion of Hanover posed a threat to Britain's ally Prussia, which was now vulnerable to attack from the west by the French as well as facing attack from Austria, Russia, Saxony and Sweden. The Repeal Act, indeed, was only passed pari passu with another censuring the American Deliberative assemblies, and declaring the authority of the British parliament over the colonies "in all cases whatsoever"; so that the House of Commons repudiated in the most formal manner the principle Pitt laid down. He was well fitted to secure the sympathy and admiration of his countrymen, for his virtues and his failings were alike English. For other holders of the title, see, Henry Fairlie, "Oratory in Political Life,", Jeremy Black, "William Pitt the Elder" (1998), Marie Peters, "The Myth of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, Great Imperialist: Part One, Pitt and Imperial Expansion 17381763,", Anon., "The History of the Last Session of Parliament" [1765-66], "Two [] of his diversions, against the French settlements in West Africa, were materially, as well as strategically, most successful. About twenty years after the Marlborough legacy, Sir William Pynsent, a Somerset baronet to whom he was personally quite unknown, left him his entire estate, worth about three thousand a year, in testimony of approval of his political career. Pitt assured the King that he would not go into direct opposition against the government. Prussia and Austria went to war in 1740, with many other European states soon joining in. Pitt had changed his stance on a number of issues to make himself more acceptable to George, most notably the heated issue of Hanoverian subsidies. The group commonly met at Stowe House, the country estate of Lord Cobham, who was a leader of the group. You can change your cookie settings at any time. It is probably the most singular thing in connexion with this singular administration, that its most pregnant measure should thus have been one directly opposed to the well-known principles of its head. In May of the same year, he was promoted to the more important and lucrative office of Paymaster of the paymaster-general, which gave him a place in the privy council, though not in the cabinet. [8] In these years he became a close friend of George Lyttelton,[14] who would later become a leading politician. His conduct after his retirement was distinguished by a moderation and disinterestedness which, as Edmund Burke remarked, "set a seal upon his character". Here he had an opportunity of displaying his public spirit and integrity in a way that deeply impressed both the king and the country. Description: These papers consist of the correspondence of the first Earl of Chatham and of his son, William Pitt. The imposition of the import duty on tea and other commodities was the project of Charles Townshend, and was carried into effect in 1767 without consultation with Lord Chatham, if not in opposition to his wishes. . In 1761 Pitt had received information from his agents about a secret Bourbon Family Compact by which the Bourbons of France and Spain bound themselves in an offensive alliance against Britain. He was the first minister whose main strength lay in the support of the nation at large as distinct from its representatives in the Commons, where his personal following was always small. After the Duke of Richmond had replied, he rose again excitedly as if to speak, pressed his hand upon his breast, and fell down in a fit. This provided yet a further blow to French prestige, as it was the first part of Metropolitan France to be occupied. William Pitt the Younger (May 28, 1759 - January 23, . [22] Pitt was granted extended leave in 1733, and toured France and Switzerland. After war had broken out, he warned that America could not be conquered. Secretary of State for the Southern Department, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015021278158, https://archive.org/stream/whigsupremacy171001761mbp/whigsupremacy171001761mbp_djvu.txt, parliament.uk: "Architecture of the Palace St Stephen's Hall", "Hayes Pages 494-499 The Environs of London: Volume 4, Counties of Herts, Essex and Kent", Critical and Miscellaneous Essays: Volume V, The Life of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, Works by or about William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, Works by William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, More about The Earl of Chatham, William Pitt 'The Elder', William Pitt's Defense of the American Colonies, Charles Wakefield, 1st Viscount Wakefield, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Pitt,_1st_Earl_of_Chatham&oldid=1157449845. It would appear from his published correspondence that Pitt had a greater influence in shaping its policy than his comparatively subordinate position would in itself have entitled him to. To the preliminaries of the Treaty of Paris (1763) he offered an indignant resistance, considering the terms quite inadequate to the successes that had been gained by the country. The heir to the throne, Frederick, Prince of Wales, was involved in a long-running dispute with his father, George II, and was the patron of the opposition. Pitt continued at his post; and at the general election which took place during the year he even accepted a nomination for the duke's pocket borough of Aldborough, North Yorkshire|Aldborough. Pitt soon joined a faction of discontented Whigs known as the Patriots who formed part of the opposition. It may be questioned, indeed, whether even had his powers been unimpaired he could have carried out any decided policy on any question with a cabinet representing interests so various and conflicting; but, as it happened, he was incapacitated physically and mentally during nearly the whole period of his tenure of office. Ignoring Robinson, Pitt made frequent and vehement attacks on Newcastle himself, though still continued to serve as Paymaster under him. He was often inconsistent, he was generally intractable and overbearing, and he was always pompous and affected to a degree which, as Macaulay remarked, seemed scarcely compatible with true greatness. Sterne, Laurence: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. He then chose to travel abroad, from 1728 attending Utrecht University in the Dutch Republic,[15] gaining a knowledge of Hugo Grotius and other writers on international law and diplomacy. [5][6], He had made it a condition of his joining any administration that Newcastle should be excluded from it, thus showing a resentment which, though natural enough, proved fatal to the lengthened existence of his government. "A spirited foreign policy" has always been popular in England, and Pitt was the most popular of English ministers, because he was the most successful exponent of such a policy. [56], Choiseul had pinned much of his hopes on a French invasion of Britain, which he hoped would knock Britain out of the war and make it surrender the colonies it had taken from France. Pitt drew up his plans for the campaigning season of 1757 in which he hoped to reverse Britain's string of defeats during the war's opening years. A British force under James Wolfe moved up the Saint Lawrence with the aim of capturing Quebec. The loss of his commission was soon made up to him. After Pitt's resignation in October 1761, the King urged Pitt to accept a mark of royal favour. From 1719 William was educated at Eton College along with his brother. The first of these, the Raid on Rochefort, took place in September but was not a success. Contemporary opinion was, of course, incompetent to estimate the permanent results gained for the country by the brilliant foreign policy of Pitt. His London house, in St. James's Square, is now the home of the international affairs think tank called Chatham House . Pitt's particular genius to finance and army on the continent to drain French men and resources so Britain was to concentrate on what he held to be the vital spheres: Canada and the West Indies, whilst Clive successfully defeated the French at Plassey (1757), securing India. The physical cause which rendered this effort so painful probably accounts for the infrequency of his appearances in parliament, as well as for much that is otherwise inexplicable in his subsequent conduct. Although he was only Prime Minister for two years, he was a dominant political figure throughout the eighteenth century. Many of the underlying issues remained unresolved by the later peace treaties leaving the potential for future conflicts to occur. [62] These conditions included the return of the sugar islands (but Britain retained Dominica); trading stations in West Africa (won by Boscawen); Pondicherry (France's Indian colony); and fishing rights in Newfoundland. [26] The loss of Pitt's commission was soon compensated. [55] Instead the troops and ships would be used as part of the coming expedition to the French West Indies. The administration formed in 1746 lasted without major changes until 1754. This was in February 1746. Repeated cases of reported Spanish mistreatment of British merchants, whom they accused of smuggling, caused public outrage, particularly the incident of Jenkins' Ear. But his eloquence was as powerful as ever, and all its power was directed against the government policy in the contest with America, which had become the question of all-absorbing interest. ISBN links support NWE through referral fees, technically, Pitt was first minister since the title of Prime Minister only became official in 1905, "The Earl of Chatham, William Pitt 'The Elder' 1766-8 Whig" 10 Downing St, Lord Chatham, "On the Spanish Convention", House of Commons March 8, 1739, United States Declaration of Independence, Earl of Chatham, William Pitt 'The Elder' 1766-8 Whig, History of "William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham", https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=William_Pitt,_1st_Earl_of_Chatham&oldid=1043605, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It proved to be almost the only measure introduced by his government in which he personally interested himself. A coalition with Newcastle was formed in June 1757, and continued in power until 1761. But his military career was destined to be short. Then in regard to the important question with Spain as to the right of search, Pitt has disarmed criticism by acknowledging that the course he followed during Walpole's administration was indefensible. Conduct like this, though obviously disinterested, did not go without immediate and ample reward, in the public confidence which it created, and which formed the mainspring of Pitt's power as a statesman. This is the most satisfactory, as it is the most obvious, explanation of his utter indifference in presence of one of the most momentous problems that ever pressed for solution on an English statesman. It proved to be almost the only measure introduced by his government in which he personally interested himself.[62]. [18] In particular, he attacked Britain's non-intervention in the ongoing European war, which he believed was in violation of the Treaty of Vienna and the terms of the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. The new king was inclined to view politics in personal terms and taught to believe that 'Pitt had the blackest of hearts'. Unsuccessful overtures were made to him in 1763, and twice in 1765, in May and June - the negotiator in May being the king's uncle, the Duke of Cumberland, who went down in person to Hayes, Pitt's seat in Kent.
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