Key dates

• December 1783


  William Pitt become Prime Minister - 'mince pie administration
• May 1784


  William Pitt calls and wins general election
• October 1784


  The East India Company Act (aka Pitt's India Act) - established Board of Control over East India Company's rule of India
• April 1785


  Pitt's reform Bill - mainly regarding reorganisation of parliamentary representation
• September 1786 - foreign


  Eden Treaty - a trade agreement with France to lower some duties
• September 1786 - domestic


  Sinking Fund - set aside budget surplus to pay down national debt
• November 1788


  Regency Crisis - King George III becomes heavily ill, thought that his incompetent son may have to take over
• August 1788


  Triple Alliance - Britain, Prussia, United Provinces
• Mar 1790


  Henry Flood's Reform Bill - supported by Fox and Edmund Burke, redeemed Flood's reputation
• April 1792


  Society of the Friends of the People founded

  • advocate reform
  • founded by Whig Party
  • elitist organisation in England
  • more inclusive in Scotland with wide membership
• March 1793


  Pitt declares was on revolutionary France
• May 1794 - domestic


  suspension of Habeas Corpus
• May 1794 - parliament


  leading Whig's join Pitt's supporters
• April to May 1797


  Naval Mutinies - Noor and Spithead
• May 1798


  rebellion in Ireland
• December 1799


  income tax introduced due to emergency funds required
• March 1801


  William Pitt the Younger resigns as Prime Minister
• March 1802


  Peace of Amiens - peace treaty between Britain and Revolutionary France which lasted one year
• May 1804


  William Pitt the younger returns as Prime Minister
• October 1805


  Battle of Trafalgar - Lord Nelson won naval battle, stopped French and Spanish navy's joint attempt to invade Great Britain, no GB ship lost
• January 1806


  William Pitt the Younger dies in office as Prime Minister
• May 1808


  Peninsular War - from 1808 to 1814, Iberian Peninsular, national liberation, Spain + Portugal + Britain vs Napoleonic France
• June 1812


  Lord Liverpool = Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• April 1814 - war


  Napoleon Abdicates - marks end of Peninsular War
• April 1784 - foreign relations


  Congress of Vienna - Castlereagh as Foreign Secretary established the Congress system with Russia, Prussia, Austria-Hungary
• March 1815 - domestic


  Corn Law - restrictions and tariffs on imported grain, domestic protectionist policy, gained opposition from urban groups who had little political voice yet food prices rose dramatically
• March 1815 - foreign


  Napoleon returns - Battle of Waterloo from Congress of Vienna, Napoleon defeated and exiled
• Jun 1815


  Battle of Waterloo - UK army lead by Duke of Wellington, defeat Napoleon's army