21
December 1804 A.D. Benjamin Disraeli Born—Conservative British
Prime Minister, Jewish Born, but Turns Anglican; Brings Suez & India Under the Crown; Clashes with William Gladstone
Author.
“Benjamin Disraeli.” BBC. N.d.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/disraeli_benjamin.shtml.
Accessed 11 Dec 2014.
British statesman and novelist, Disraeli provided the
Conservative Party with its policies of popular democracy and imperialism.
Born to Italian-Jewish parents, in 1817 Disraeli's
father baptised his children as Christians. With Jews excluded from parliament
until 1858, this enabled Disraeli to pursue a career that would otherwise have
been denied him.
Early business ventures failed, leaving him heavily in
debt. He had a breakdown and for four years did little until he decided to
pursue a political career. After four attempts, in 1837 he was elected as Tory
candidate for Maidstone.
He soon established himself as a compelling speaker
and his career took off. But the failure of the Conservative leader, Sir Robert
Peel, to give him a cabinet position in 1841 prompted his bitter opposition to
Peel's decision to repeal the Corn Laws, the protective duties on foreign
grain. Although the laws passed, Peel resigned the following year.
In 1852, Disraeli became chancellor of the exchequer
in Lord Derby's minority government. He served as chancellor under Derby in
three such governments, reforming parliament in 1865 with a bill that doubled
the existing electorate.
When Derby retired in 1868, Disraeli 'climbed to the
top of a greasy pole' as the new prime minister. He oversaw a shift towards the
emergence of two parties, each with their own, coherent, policies. The
polarisation was accentuated by the mutual loathing of Disraeli and Liberal
leader William Ewart Gladstone.
In 1874, the Conservatives won a huge election victory and Disraeli once
more became prime minister, aged 70. Domestically, he concentrated on social
reform. He codified the law on public health and passed laws to prevent labour
exploitation and recognise trades unions. Abroad, his acquisition of shares in
the Suez Canal was a major success.
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