Disraeli << dihz RAY lee >>, Benjamin (1804-1881), was one of the most important British political leaders of the 1800’s. He was prime minister of the United Kingdom in 1868 and again from 1874 to 1880. Disraeli was the first person of Jewish ancestry to be prime minister in the United Kingdom.
Disraeli was born in London on Dec. 21, 1804. His father, Isaac D’Israeli, was a well-known author. D’Israeli had Benjamin baptized into the Church of England at the age of 13. In the 1820’s, the younger Disraeli also began a writing career. But in time he decided to enter politics. After several failed attempts to win a seat in Parliament, Disraeli was elected to the House of Commons as a Conservative in 1837.
In Parliament, Disraeli became a leading spokesman of the most conservative interests. He opposed the repeal of the Corn Laws, which taxed British imports of grain. In 1846, Disraeli became a leading figure of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons. In 1852, 1858, and 1866, he became chancellor of the exchequer in Conservative governments that the Earl of Derby headed from the House of Lords.
Disraeli played an important role in the passage of the Reform Act of 1867. The act brought greater democracy to the United Kingdom by giving the vote to many city workers and small farmers. In 1868, Disraeli became prime minister. He lost the position to William Gladstone, the leader of the Liberal Party, later in 1868 but regained it from Gladstone in 1874.
As prime minister, Disraeli followed a strong foreign policy. In 1875, he purchased for the United Kingdom a large interest in the Suez Canal, which was a key link in the shipping route that connected the United Kingdom and its vast empire in India and the Far East. At the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Disraeli helped prevent Russian expansion in Turkey and won Cyprus for the United Kingdom. The Disraeli government also worked to improve living conditions in the United Kingdom. It passed important measures affecting health, housing, the environment, trade unions, and working conditions.
Disraeli wrote several novels dealing with politics and high society. His major novels include Coningsby (1844), Sybil (1845), and Tancred (1847). He was made Earl of Beaconsfield in 1876. He died on April 19, 1881.
See also Conservative Party; Corn Laws.
