The Whigs Lack of Political Success in the Period...

The Whigs Lack of Political Success in the Period 1783-1815 There are a number if contributing factors, both long and short term that led to the downfall of the Whig party in the years 1783-1815. Firstly, the Whig party itself had alienated themselves from the King, George III. Unlike Pitt, whose success derived directly from the Kings favour, the Whigs had continued to express their views against royal patronage. The Whigs believed the power of the monarch should be reduced and made no attempt to hide their ambitions, during the regency crisis, that the King would not recover. The Whigs had hoped with the King replaced by the Prince of Wales they would soon be propelled into office. The†¦show more content†¦Fox failed to handle the Regency Crisis with care and resulted in the Whigs alienation from the King. Fox also could not control internal conflicts which determined him to be a poor leader. These internal arguments occurred mostly between the older, more conservative Whigs and the younger, more radical Whigs. By 1792 major Whig members such as Portland and Burke left the party saying they could no longer accept the Foxite view that the French revolution was th e same as the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688 and its influence would not spread to Britain. With these important members leaving the party, the Whigs lost support and strength which also became a reason as to why the Whigs suffered a lack of political success between the years 1792-1815. The lack of success by the Whig party was also attributed due to the strength of Pitt and his party. As Pitt had proved during his years in office, he was an astute, clever character. He had brought political and economic stability to the country and also resolved the India issue which no other ministry (including the Fox-North) had been able to achieve. After the edict of Fraternty was issued in 1792, Pitt recognised the true threat posed by the French Revolution on Britain and set about with aims to surpress radicalism and maintain peace and order within the country. Members of the propertied elite who had been part of the Whigs realisedShow MoreRelatedRethinking Mercantalism Essay15042 Words   |  61 PagesRethinking Mercantilism: Political Economy, the British Empire, and the Atlantic World in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Author(s): Steve Pincus Reviewed work(s): Source: The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1 (January 2012), pp. 3-34 Published by: Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5309/willmaryquar.69.1.0003 . Accessed: 06/09/2012 12:18 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms