On This Day
13 September 1806
Death of Charles James Fox, one of the founders of modern liberalism
Orator, radical thinker and possessor of one of the most colourful and dissolute private lives of all politicians, Fox was Foreign Secretary at the time of his death and had held that post twice before, albeit very briefly. However, he was really an opposition man, fiercely pro-Parliament against the King, defender of the French Revolution when most were turning against its excess. In an age of aristocratic privilege and repression, Fox stood for things modern Liberals would identify with, such as a belief in power stemming from the people, a desire for wide-ranging reforms and a belief in progress.