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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1553 | |
| 2 | 1558 | |
| 3 | 1603 | |
| 4 | 1625 | |
| 5 | 1660 | |
| 6 | 1685 | |
| 7 | 1689 | |
| 8 | 1702 | |
| 9 | 1714 | |
| 10 | 1721 | - Sir Robert Walpole (from 1742 as Earl of Orford) [Whig] Regarded as the first Prime Minister in the modern sense; The South Sea Company bubble; criticised for Great Britain's poor performance in the War of Jenkins' Ear.
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| 11 | 1727 | |
| 12 | 1742 | - The Earl of Wilmington [Whig] Increased tax on spirits; in poor health for much of his time as Prime Minister, the government was led de facto by John Carteret.
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| 13 | 1743 | - Henry Pelham [Whig] Reorganisation of the Royal Navy; adoption of the Gregorian Calendar; Marriage Act 1753; helped end the War of the Austrian Succession.
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| 14 | 1754 | - The Duke of Newcastle (1st term) [Whig] Led Great Britain into the Seven Years' War with France in North America.
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| 15 | 1756 | - The Duke of Devonshire [Whig] The government was largely run by William Pitt the Elder.
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| 16 | 1757 | - Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2nd term) [Whig] Great Britain gained more influence abroad in the Seven Years' War; the war was largely prosecuted by Pitt the Elder as Secretary of State.
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| 17 | 1760 | |
| 18 | 1762 | - The Earl of Bute [Tory] Ended the dominance of the Whigs and the Seven Years' War.
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| 19 | 1763 | - George Grenville [Whig] Lowered domestic tax at the expense of the colonies; introduced the Stamp Act 1765 (which ultimately led to the American Revolution).
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| 20 | 1765 | - The Marquess of Rockingham (1st term) [Whig] Repealed the controversial Stamp Act, inspired by protests in the colonies.
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| 21 | 1766 | - The Earl of Chatham, 'William Pitt the Elder' [Whig] The first real Imperialist; credited with the birth of the British Empire; indirectly responsible for the French Revolution (due to Great Britain's defeat of France in Canada).
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| 22 | 1768 | - The Duke of Grafton [Whig] Attempted to reconcile with the American colonies.
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| 23 | 1770 | - Lord North [Tory] Led Britain into the American Revolution, making a number of tactical errors; the Gordon Riots; resigned after a vote of no confidence.
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| 24 | 1782 | - The Marquess of Rockingham (2nd term) [Whig] Acknowledged the independence of the United States; began a process of political reform (however died in office).
- The Earl of Shelburne [Whig] Planned political reform; secured peace with the United States, France and Spain.
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| 25 | 1783 | - The Duke of Portland (1st term) [Whig] Titular head of the Fox-North Coalition. Attempted to reform the British East India Company, but was blocked by George III.
- William Pitt the Younger (1st term) [Tory] India Act 1784; attempted to remove rotten boroughs; personally opposed to the slave trade; reduced the national debt due to the rebellion in the North American colonies; formed the Triple Alliance; Constitutional Act of 1791; war with France starting in 1793; introduced the first income tax; Act of Union 1800.
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| 26 | 1801 | - Henry Addington [Tory] Negotiated the Treaty of Amiens with France in 1802.
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| 27 | 1804 | - William Pitt the Younger (2nd term) [Tory] Alliance with Russia, Austria and Sweden against France (Third Coalition); Battle of Trafalgar; Battle of Ulm; Battle of Austerlitz.
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| 28 | 1806 | - The Lord Grenville [Whig] Abolition of the slave trade.
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| 29 | 1807 | - The Duke of Portland (2nd term) [Tory] Headed a Tory government; was old and ill, leaving the Cabinet to their own devices (largely headed by Spencer Perceval).
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| 30 | 1809 | - Spencer Perceval [Tory] Industrial revolution; descent of George III into madness; his administration was notable for the lack of senior statesmen (Perceval also served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer); Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars; as of 2006, the only Prime Minister to have been assassinated.
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| 31 | 1812 | - The Earl of Liverpool [Tory] Oversaw Great Britain's victory in the Napoleonic Wars; the Congress of Vienna; an economic recession in 1817; The War of 1812 (in Britain, the American War of 1812 to 1815); Peterloo Massacre in 1819; the Cato Street Conspiracy to assassinate Liverpool; return to the gold standard in 1819.
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| 32 | 1820 | |
| 33 | 1827 | - George Canning [Tory] Died shortly after taking office.
- The Viscount Goderich [Tory] Lacked support amongst colleagues; resigned.
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| 34 | 1828 | - The Duke of Wellington [Tory] Catholic Emancipation Bill (which he fought a duel over).
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| 35 | 1830 | - William IV
- The Earl Grey [Whig] Reform Act 1832; restriction of employment of children; abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.
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| 36 | 1834 | - The Viscount Melbourne (1st term) [Whig] William IV's opposition forced him to resign.
- Sir Robert Peel (1st term) [Conservative] Unable to form a majority in Parliament so resigned.
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| 37 | 1835 | - The Viscount Melbourne (2nd term) [Whig] A father figure to Queen Victoria; Municipal Corporations Act 1835.
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| 38 | 1837 | |
| 39 | 1841 | - Sir Robert Peel (2nd term) [Conservative] Mines Act 1842; Factory Act 1844; repeal of the Corn Laws (triggered by the Irish potato famine);
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| 40 | 1846 | - The Lord John Russell (1st term) (afterwards PM as Earl Russell) [Whig] Education Act 1847; Australian Colonies Act 1850; improved the Poor Law.
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| 41 | 1852 | - The Earl of Derby (1st term) [Conservative] Government collapsed when his Chancellor's Budget was defeated.
- The Earl of Aberdeen [Peelite] Entered the country into the Crimean War; resigned due to the formation of an enquiry into the conduct of the war.
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| 42 | 1855 | - The Viscount Palmerston (1st term) [Whig] Responded to the Indian mutiny of 1857; introduced the India Bill 1858.
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| 43 | 1858 | - The Earl of Derby (2nd term) [Conservative] India Bill 1858, transferring ownership of the East India Company to the Crown; Jews Relief Act, allowing Jews to become MPs.
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| 44 | 1859 | - The Viscount Palmerston (2nd term) [Liberal] Between periods in office he founded the Liberal Party; died in office.
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| 45 | 1865 | - The Earl Russell (2nd term) (previously PM as Lord John Russell) [Liberal] attempted to introduce a further Reform Bill, but was opposed by his Cabinet.
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| 46 | 1866 | - The Earl of Derby (3rd term) [Conservative] Reform Act 1867; considered to be the father of the modern Conservative Party.
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| 47 | 1868 | - Benjamin Disraeli (1st term) [Conservative] The UK's first and, as of 2006, only, Prime Minister from Jewish ancestry; dissolved Parliament as the Conservatives did not have a majority.
- William Ewart Gladstone (1st term) [Liberal] Introduced reforms to the British Army, Civil Service and local government; made peacetime flogging illegal; Ballot Act 1872; failed to prevent the Franco-Prussian War.
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| 48 | 1874 | - Benjamin Disraeli (2nd term) (from 1876 as Earl of Beaconsfield) [Conservative] Various reforms including the Climbing Boys Act 1875, the Public Health Act 1875 and the Employers and Workmen Act 1878; Congress of Berlin; breaking up of the League of the Three Emperors.
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| 49 | 1880 | - William Ewart Gladstone (2nd term) [Liberal] First Boer War; Irish Coercion Act; Redistribution of Seats Act; failure to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan.
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| 50 | 1885 | - The Marquess of Salisbury (1st term) [Conservative] Legislation providing for housing the working class.
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| 51 | 1886 | - William Ewart Gladstone (3rd term) [Liberal] First introduction of the Home Rule Bill for Ireland, which split the Liberal Party, resulting in the end of Gladstone's government.
- The Marquess of Salisbury (2nd term) [Conservative] Opposed Irish home rule; Local Government Act 1888; Partition of Africa; Free Education Act 1891; creation of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
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| 52 | 1892 | - William Ewart Gladstone (4th term) [Liberal] Reintroduction of the Home Rule Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons but rejected by the House of Lords leading to his resignation.
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| 53 | 1894 | - The Earl of Rosebery [Liberal] Imperialist; plans for expanding the Royal Navy caused disagreement within the Liberal Party; resigned following a vote of censure over military supplies.
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| 54 | 1895 | - The Marquess of Salisbury (3rd term) [Conservative] Workmen's Compensation Act 1897; Second Boer War.
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| 55 | 1901 | |
| 56 | 1902 | - Arthur Balfour [Conservative] Had poor relations with Edward VII; his cabinet was split over free trade; establishment of the Committee of Imperial Defence.
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| 57 | 1905 | - Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman [Liberal] Restored autonomy to Transvaal and the Orange Free State; Anglo-Russian Entente; first Prime Minister to be referred to as such in Parliamentary legislation.
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| 58 | 1908 | - H. H. Asquith [Liberal] The Liberal Welfare Reforms; Parliament Act 1911; National Insurance and pensions; granting of women's suffrage; Home Rule Act 1914; World War I.
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| 59 | 1910 | |
| 60 | 1916 | - David Lloyd George [Liberal] End of World War I; Paris Peace Conference; attempted to extend conscription to Ireland during the First World War. Formation of the Irish Free State.
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