Mike French, age 15, of Baltimore, Md., for his question:
WHO WAS WILLIAM PITT?
William Pitt was the prime minister of Great Britain from 1783 to 1801 and from 1804 to 1806. He receives credit for restoring British confidence and prosperity after the American Revolution. He was also the nation's leader during the war against revolutionary France.
William Pitt was born in 1759 and was educated for a political career at the University of Cambridge. He was the second son of William Pitt, First Earl of Chatham, and he entered Parliament in 1781. He quickly rose in power.
During his first 18 year term as prime minister, Pitt's goal was to revive the national spirit through peace and economy. He was an excellent financial manager, improving the revenue, cutting expenditure, consolidating the accounts and beginning systematic reduction of the national debt.
In foreign policy Pitt restored British prestige in Europe and negotiated a favorable trade treaty with France.
Pitt's Canada Act of 1791 established representative institutions for English and French speaking Canada. The need for a place to settle convicts led to the establishment in 1788 of a colony in Australia. Political control over the British territories in India was established by Pitt's India Act in 1784.
The outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789, followed by general European war, removed the conditions that favored Pitt's policies of peace and economy. Britain declared war on France in 1793 and Pitt became the leader of a nation determined to resist the spread of French power and ideas.
Pitt's policy was to attack French trade and colonies, while subsidizing allies to fight the French on land.
A major problem was Ireland, where Irish patriots rose in rebellion in 1798, encouraged by French promises of help. Pitt's solution to the Irish problem was the Act of Union in 1800, which incorporated Ireland into one United Kingdom with Great Britain.
Pitt resigned in 1801 and was succeeded by Henry Addington, who made peace with Napoleonic France. War was soon resumed, however, and the nation again turned to Pitt, who returned to office in 1804, forming another coalition against France.
Pitt had lost many of his former supporters, and weary determination replaced the vitality of his former years.
Pitt was intelligent, receptive to new ideas, a superb speaker and well informed on all aspects of government. His policies were moderate. His long tenure of power and his determination to control all aspects of government were important contributions to the developing concept of a prime minister.