William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806) was a British statesman who became Prime Minister at 24, the youngest to hold the office. He served 1783–1801 and again from 1804 until his death, shaping British politics during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Born in Kent, England, he was the son of former Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder. He studied at Pembroke College-Cambridge, gaining recognition for his oratory and financial expertise. His tenure saw economic reforms, naval expansion, and efforts to combat revolutionary France.
Despite political success, Pitt faced financial difficulties and declining health, worsened by wartime pressures. His policies on taxation, trade, and national security were widely discussed in political writings. His leadership in the Union with Ireland (1801) and attempts at Catholic emancipation were significant.
William Hague’s William Pitt the Younger (2004) explores his life and influence, while John Ehrman’s three-volume Pitt the Younger (1983) provides a detailed study of his governance.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by William Pitt the Younger
It is injustice to permit slavery to remain for a single hour.
—William Pitt the Younger
Topics: Slavery
Eloquence is in the assembly, not merely in the speaker.
—William Pitt the Younger
Topics: Eloquence
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
—William Pitt the Younger
Topics: Tyranny, Freedom, Necessity
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