George Canning
Sign in to saveBritish Prime Minister, statesman, and politician (1770-1827)
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George Canning was a British Prime Minister and statesman who lived from 1770 to 1827 and played a significant role in British politics during the early 19th century. He matters historically because he served as Prime Minister and shaped British foreign and domestic policy during a pivotal period in the nation's history.
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Person · Open Library
- Born
- 1770
- Died
- 1827
- Works
- 46
Top works
- Substance of two speeches, delivered in the House of Commons by the Right Honourable George Canning, on Wednesday the 8th, and Monday the 13th of May, 1811, in the Committee of the whole house
- Letter from the Secretary of State to Mr. Monroe on the subject of the attack on the Chesapeake. The correspondence of Mr. Monroe with the British government. And also, Mr. Madison's correspondence with Mr. Rose on the same subject
- Corrected report of speeches delivered in the House of Commons
- Discours prononcé
- The present operations and future prospects of the Mexican mine associations analysed, by the evidence of official documents, English and Mexican, and the national advantages expected from joint stock companies, considered, in a letter to the Right Hon. George Canning
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Listeners · Last.fm
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- 20
- Total plays
- 29
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Article
George Canning (/ˈkænɪŋ/; 11 April 1770 – 8 August 1827) was a British Tory statesman. He held various senior cabinet positions under numerous prime ministers, including two important terms as foreign secretary, finally becoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the last 119 days of his life, from April to August 1827.
The son of an actress and a failed businessman and lawyer, Canning was supported financially by his uncle, Stratford Canning, which allowed him to attend Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford. Canning entered politics in 1793 and rose rapidly. He was Paymaster of the Forces (1800–1801) and Treasurer of the Navy (1804–1806) under William Pitt the Younger. Canning was foreign secretary (1807–1809) under the Duke of Portland. Canning was the dominant figure in the cabinet and directed the Battle of Copenhagen, the seizure of the Danish fleet in 1807 to assure Britain's naval supremacy over Napoleon. In 1809, he was wounded in a duel with his rival Lord Castlereagh and was shortly thereafter passed over as a successor to the Duke of Portland in favour of Spencer Perceval. He rejected overtures to serve as foreign secretary again because of Castlereagh's presence in Perceval's Cabinet and he remained out of high office until after Perceval was assassinated in 1812.
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1770 births1827 deaths18th-century Anglo-Irish people18th-century British lawyers19th-century Anglo-Irish people19th-century deaths from tuberculosis19th-century prime ministers of the United KingdomAlumni of Christ Church, OxfordAmbassadors of the United Kingdom to PortugalBritish duellistsBritish fellows of the Royal SocietyBritish MPs 1790–1796