A Level Pitt to Peel History Mindmaps covering every possible exam topic and question.
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The Support of the King:
• January 1784 – the King wrote The Unpopularity of the Fox North Coalition: Pitt’s Personal Qualities:
to Pitt, urging him to call an • The coalition between Fox and North was highly unpopular, as • Independent voters chose to vote for Pitt
election as he was concerned was the influence of the Whigs • Independents were impressed with both
that it was wrong for Pitt to • More than 100 MPs who supported Fox and the influential Whig impression that the Younger Pitt had give
remain PM with only the lords lost their seats difficult circumstances and the family nam
backing of the crown • Fox opposed the war against the American colonies and was of his father, the Elder Pitt
• The delay of dissolving disliked by the King • Pitt also attracted those who favoured ref
parliament was of considerable • He was a large unkempt person of huge vitality and was moral and principled type of politics than
importance – the King used all committed to reducing the influence of the crown and supporting the Foxites
his influence in the House of popular rights • Pitt was a reformer, he opposed the corru
Lords to persuade peers not to voting for MPs and wanted to end the wa
support the Whig aristocrats Why did Pitt win the election of 1784? American Colonies
• George wanted an able and • His speeches and intellect attracted atten
loyal prime minister in place of defeat
the Whig ministers who Why was 1784 a ‘significant’ election?
wanted to dominate him • Hard fought on national lines rather than
• The King also disliked the local interests 1784 Election:
alliance between the Whigs • Confirmed Pitt in office and gave him a • National campaign rather than fo
and the previous PM Lord platform for the next two decades issues
North • Pitt was able to govern effectively on the • Parliament dissolved on the 24th M
• Pitt was careful to keep the basis of strong majorities in the Commons • Polling lasted until May
King’s confidence and Lords and with the support of the King • Election managers secured pocke
What problems did Pitt face in 1783? Robinson, Dundas
• Debt – war with America had been hugely expensive • Crown influence
• Isolated in Europe – war with America had also involved fighting against France
and Spain Results:
• Own position – minority government threatened by Fox/North coalition • Pitt wins majority of about 120
• Parliamentary Reform – the political system was unrepresentative especially of • 52 Pitties
new towns and growing industry • 138 Foxites
• America – loss of a colony could threaten Britain’s commercial supremacy • 183 Independents
• Administration – system was designed to satisfy political not administrative aims • 185 Crown Party
,The problem:
• First months in Pitt’s government, national debt was New taxes: Increased Efficiency:
• In 18th century most taxes were indirect and only effected the wealthy Consolidation Fund Act of 17
£243m
• (hair powder, servants, horses, windows) • Previous 103 exchequer
1775-84 the size of the national debt increased by
• Other areas – taxes were introduced but withdrawn in the face of replaced by a single fund
91%
• hostility: the treasury
The annual interest on this debt was £9m
• 1784 – textiles (muslins, cotton) but rapidly repealed) • Streamlined the financia
• The government had difficulty in raising loans and
• 1784 – licenses for bleachers and dyers, tax on all printed and management
confidence in the eventual recovery of national
bleached textiles abandoned in 1785 • Made some form of nati
finances was low
• Coal – tax withdrawn accounting possible for t
• Shops – highly unpopular and ended by 1789
The solution:
• Target smuggling – increase customs revenue
• Introduce new taxes Smuggling:
• Collect taxes more efficiently • Around 1/5 of all imports were contraband
• Extent the sinking fund • Possible that 3-4.5m tons of tea illegally imported Pitt’s economic p
• Reduce government expenditure through
rationalisation Pitt’s approach:
• Stimulate overseas trade • Made it harder by extending the right to search suspect cargoes –
amended the ‘Hovering Act’ in 1784 so that officials could now search
ships up to 4 leagues (12 miles) out to sea rather than 2
Sinking Fund: • Made is less profitable by reducing import duties – the Commutation Act
• In 1784 the national debt with interest charges of 1784 reduced the duty on tea (119 to 25%) this was followed by
amounted to ¼ of government spending reduced customs duties on wine, spirits and tobacco
• In 1786 Pitt wanted to reduce this by extending the • Evaluation of Financial Po
Made legitimate trade easier by extending the system of bonded
‘sinking fund’ into which annual sums were paid to warehouses which allowed imports for re-export to be stored tax free • In 1793, income was
reduce national debt 1783 due to destroyi
• Had existed since 1716 but its value had been reduced smuggling, imposing
Evaluation:
by ministers raiding it for other purposes • Pitt didn’t destory smuggling but made it far less profitable and a more risky increased consumpti
• It was placed under the control of a board of 6 • Pitt was one of the m
business
commissioners • The value of food and raw material imports rose from £13-27m (1783-mid gatherers ever to gov
• Scheme worked well with a £10m reduction in the • Pitt’s taxation policy
1790s)
national debt until the outbreak of war with France in • Tea entering through customs legitimately doubled 1786-1788 acceptable to tax pay
1793 • Government yields increased: both unpopular and
• Reform of the sinking fund was more important in • 29% on spirits • Window tax may hav
restoring national confidence than in reducing • 63% on wines development of the g
national debt • 39% on tobacco
, Administration:
The Problem: Trade:
• Administration was very out of date • Value of Britain’s exports rose from £12.5 to £20m (1782-1790)
• Manpower badly deployed due to patronage – offices were given as • Value of Britain’s imports doubled to £20m (1783-1790)
rewards for political services not on merit
• In order to reduce expenditure, Pitt needed to increase the efficiency of Eden Treaty with France:
government and cut out waste • The Eden Trade Treaty with France (September 1786) was negotiated
• But radical reform would have encountered widespread opposition since face of strong opposition from leading statesmen in both countries
the system was designed to satisfy political not administrative aims • Was so favourable to Britain that even Foxite opposition was stunned
• France reduced duties on oil, vinegar, wines and spirits
Pitt’s approach: • Britain reduced duties on textiles, pottery, leather goods and
• Government contracts put out to tender • Either country, while neutral, could carry goods freely during
• Better auditing of accounts other was engaged
• Reshuffled departments and increased control of treasury • Opposition from British manufacturers ensured that silk markets wer
• In 1785 a Treasury Commission of Audit was created to oversee public agreement
expenditure – board reinforced by staff transfers from the Treasury and the • Within 3 years, French manufacturers were complaining that the trea
Excise Board weighted in favour of British manufacturers – in reality their complain
• Creation of a central Stationery Office in 1787 ensured economies in the of Britain’s competitiveness in the early stages of industrialisation
supply of stationery to departments • Treaty operated until 1792 when Britain got involved in the Revolutio
• Promotion based on merit • Napoleon blamed the Treaty for bankrupting France and causing the
• Allowed redundant positions to lapse (their holders to die) - didn’t fill • Although the treaty didn’t last very long, the experiment proved to b
vacant positions Huskisson built on it the 1820s with a series of reciprocity treaties
India Act – 1784:
• Government of India by East India Company was archaic and inefficient
• Pitt’s act “clipped the East India Company’s wings” Pitt’s policies Assessment of Financial and Administrative reform
• Set up a Board of Control responsible to the crown – leading government Yes accurate – does merit a ‘national revival’
officials including Pitt sat on the board on • Did increase revenue, decrease expenditure an
• India Act began the process of extending British control • Increased efficiency
Administration • Increased confidence
Evaluation: Not accurate - does not bring about a ‘national re
• Most of the 180 posts the public accounts commissioners recommended in and Trade •
•
Some new taxes failed and were withdrawn
1786 should be abolished, disappeared within the next 20 years Pitt’s ideas were based on precedent
• Efficient department management was gradually built up but with a greater • Pitt’s economic inheritance was better than it
degree of Treasury control the industrial revolution placing Britain at a ma
• Much of this had originally been proposed by North trading terms
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