Abstract:
The following study traces the political career of the Earl of
Hillsborough from his election to Parliament in May 17419 to his death
in October 1793. As particular emphasis is laid on Hillsborough's
attitude towards America, those chapters dealing with his American poiicy
are far more detailed than the bridging chapters. A brief account of Hillsborough's genealogy is followed by an
introductory chapter. This deals with the first twenty-two years of
Hillsborough's career, when he was struggling to establish himself as a
politician. This was a very long apprenticeship and by 1762 Hillsborough
had almost given up hope of gaining ministerial office. However, he
eventually did become President of the Board of Trade under George Grenville,
in September 1763. Chapter II is concerned with his first years as a
minister. In this chapter the detailed study of Hillsborough's attitude
to American affairs begins. Chapter III is a bridging chapter, dealing
with the good and bad fortune which befell Hillsborough between his
resignation from the Board of Trade in August 1765, and his appointment as
American Secretary in January 1768. Amongst other things, it recounts
why he left the Board of Trade after only five months in 1766, although its
position in the machinery of government had been altered to accord with his
specifications. Chapter IV deals with the actual creation of the American
Department. Chapters V, VII and VIII concentrate on his handling of
American affairs, in general, during his term as American Secretary. Issues of great significance, between 1768-72, such as Hillsborough's
attitude to Western expansion, the Quebec Act, colonial currency and the
agents have, however, been separately dealt with in Chapters IX, X, XI and
XII, respectively. Similarly, significant controversies concerning individuals, i.e, Sir Jeffery Amherst and Benjamin Frankling have been
adjudged worthy of individual attention (Chapters VI and XIII). The
last Chapter (XIV) llike the first is a general outline for a long period
(in this case twenty-one years: from Hillsborough's resignation from the
American Department to his death), concentrating on specific incidents and
especially upon Hillsborough's attitude towards the American War in his
later years. It also gives his attitude to an Anglo-Irish Union and his
unfulfilled ambition; that of becoming Viceroy of Ireland. The
Conclusion is followed by an Appendix dealing with an unsolved mystery:
how could Hillsborough have voted for the repeal of the Stamp Act, when
he was apparently not in Britain?
