Charles James Fox, 1749-1806

Charles James Fox, the standard bearer of the reform Whig opposition in the late eighteenth century, was among the most colorful politicians of his era and perhaps its most arresting orator. Despite a career marked by shifting alliances and misadventures, Fox had a great impact on the development of nineteenth-century British political thinking, and such major prime ministers as Melbourne, Grey, and Russell looked, in part, to Fox's principles on liberty to guide their own actions. Today Fox is best remembered for his advocacy of the Libel Bill, a milestone in the history of English law; for his support of Catholic emancipation and the abolition of slavery, measures that became law after his death; and for his dedication to the rights of the common man. This volume is the first comprehensive bibliography of Fox, the man of the people, and it provides an annotated guide to the manuscript and archival sources as well as his own writings and the extensive literature on his life and career. The volume begins with an analysis of Fox's life and impact and is followed by a chronology of major events in his career. The volume concludes with author and subject indexes. The bibliography is an essential reference tool for scholars and researchers investigating late eighteenth and early nineteenth British political and social history.