Originally published on November 8, 2018 (Episode 85)
Introduction
Robert Banks Jenkinson was a shy, awkward, intellectual sort of man. Perhaps he imagined, while a student at Christchurch, Oxford, of an alternate reality in which he might be a classics don. But his father, the first Earl of Liverpool, loved him and had a plan for his life: Robert was going to be Prime Minister.
Amazingly enough, father planned best. Robert would go on to be a key member of the cabinets that fought the empire of Napoleon. Then, following the assassination of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval in 1812, the by-then Lord Liverpool became the King’s Prime Minster and First Lord of the Treasury. Guiding Britain through the last three years of war turned out to be not as difficult as leading it into the peace that followed twenty years of conflict.
My guest Will Hay argues that Liverpool was one of the most successful prime ministers in British history. Why he has been forgotten is part of the focus of our conversation, as well as why political history is important and should still be written.
About the Guest
William Anthony Hay was at the time of the recording Professor of History at Mississippi State University. He is now Associate Director for Public Programs and Professor in the School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership at Arizona State University.
For Further Investigation
William Anthony Hay, Lord Liverpool: A Political Life (Boydell Press, 2018)
—, “Lord Liverpool, Eurosceptic”, History Today, 10 October 2018
Listen & Discuss
How did Liverpool’s leadership shape post-Napoleonic Europe?
Why should we care about political history—and forgotten prime ministers?
If you know someone who thinks British history begins with Churchill, share this episode with them.
SEO Tags: Lord Liverpool, Robert Jenkinson, William Anthony Hay, British prime ministers, Napoleonic Wars, British political history
