Charles James Fox
A brilliant, flamboyant Whig statesman who championed liberty, opposed slavery, and became the lifelong nemesis of William Pitt the Younger.
1749–1806 (age 57)·British politician·Birthday: January 24
Biography
Charles James Fox led the parliamentary campaign against the slave trade and consistently defended constitutional liberty. He entered Parliament as a teenager, the son of a powerful political fixer. His dazzling oratory and radical views made him a charismatic opposition leader. He supported the American colonists and later the French Revolutionaries. His personal life featured gargantuan gambling debts and a long, devoted relationship with his mistress, Elizabeth Armistead, which scandalized society but endeared him to the public. For decades, he dueled in Parliament with his conservative rival, William Pitt the Younger. Though he held high office only briefly, his advocacy laid the groundwork for the Great Reform Act and the abolition of slavery.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1749
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1749Born
1754Started school
1762Became a teenager
1765Could drive
1767Could vote
1770Turned 21
1779Turned 30
1789Turned 40
1799Turned 50
1806Died at 57
Key Achievements
- Was a leading parliamentary advocate for the abolition of the slave trade throughout his career.
- Served as Britain's first Foreign Secretary in 1782 and again in the Ministry of All the Talents (1806).
- Consistently defended the cause of American independence in Parliament during the 1770s.
- His political ideology and faction formed the direct antecedent of the 19th-century Liberal Party.
Did You Know?
He was a notorious gambler who lost his entire fortune on multiple occasions.
He secretly married his long-time companion, Elizabeth Armistead, in 1795, but kept it private for years.
He was a close friend of the Prince of Wales (the future George IV), who shared his Whig sympathies.
His father, Henry Fox, was the man who secured the funds for the British Museum.
““How much the greatest event it is that ever happened in the world! and how much the best!” (on the fall of the Bastille in 1789)”
