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Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford

Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, usually known by his courtesy title of Lord North, (April 13, 1732-August 5, 1792) was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782, and a major actor in the American Revolution.

He was educated at Eton College and Oxford where he was a member of Trinity College. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1754 to 1790 and first joined the government as a junior Lord of the Treasury on June 2, 1759 during the Newcastle-Pitt coalition. In December, 1767, he succeeded Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer. When the Duke of Grafton resigned as Prime Minister, North formed a government on January 28, 1770. He resigned on March 27, 1782, as a result of the British defeat at Yorktown the year before. Most of his government was focused first of the growing problems with the American colonies and later with the actual Revolutionary War.

In April, 1783, North returned to power as Home Secretary in an unlikely coalition with the radical Whig leader Charles James Fox under the nominal leadership of The Duke of Portland. George III, who detested Fox, never forgave this supposed betrayal, and North never again served in government after the ministry fell in December, 1783.

He left his seat in parliament when he went blind in 1790. Later he succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Guilford, so he spent his final years in the House of Lords. He died on August 5th, 1792 in London.

Preceded by: Charles Townshend	Paymaster of the Forces 1766–1767	Followed by: George Cooke and Thomas Townshend
Preceded by: Charles Townshend	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1767–1782	Followed by: The Lord John Cavendish
Preceded by: The Duke of Grafton	Prime Minister of Great Britain 1770–1782	Followed by: The Marquess of Rockingham
Preceded by: The Earl of Holdernesse	Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1778–1792	Followed by: William Pitt the Younger
Preceded by: Thomas Townshend	Home Secretary 1783	Followed by: The Earl Temple

Preceded by: Francis North

Earl of Guilford

Followed by: George Augustus North