| Date | 1770 |
|---|---|
| Reference | EPM-0005 |
| Volume | Eton Prime Ministers, Volume 1 |
| Collection | Eton Prime Ministers |
| Born: | 13 Apr 1732 |
| Died: | 5 Aug 1792 |
| Affiliation: | Tory |
| PM: | 28 Jan 1770 to 27 Mar 1782 |
| Length: | 12 years, 58 days |
| Title: | 2nd Earl of Guildford, 8th Baron North (Lord North) |
| At Eton: | 1742 to 1748 |
| Timeline: | 1732: Born in Piccadilly, to Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford, and Lady Lucy Montagu. 1742: Educated at Eton College. 1748–1750: Attended Trinity College, Oxford; became a fellow. 1754: Elected MP for Banbury, a seat he held until 1790. 1759: Appointed Lord of the Treasury, marking his entry into government. 1766: Became Chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder (also served under the Duke of Grafton). 1770: January was appointed Prime Minister following the resignation of the Duke of Grafton. 1773: Oversaw the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea Party. 1775–1783: The American Revolutionary War occurred during his premiership. 1781: The British defeat at the Battle of Yorktown effectively ended the war in favour of the American colonies. 1782: On 27th March, he resigned as Prime Minister after loss of support and war failures. 1783–1790: Served in various roles, including Home Secretary and Secretary of State for the Home Department, briefly part of the Fox–North Coalition. 1790: Succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Guilford, entered the House of Lords and left the Commons. 1792: Died at age 60. |
| Notable: | He was remembered by history as ‘the man who lost America’. Often criticised, but also recognized for loyalty to King George III and administrative skill. |
| Sources: | History of the UK Government The Victorian Web Britannica Eton College National Portrait Gallery Museum of Prime Ministers Wikipedia |
| Windlesora: |