Lord Aberdeen

Lord Aberdeen (1784-1860), British diplomat and statesman, prime minister of Great Britain and Ireland (1852-1855). Born in Edinburgh into a distinguished Scottish family, he was educated at Harrow. Having joined the foreign service, he was appointed special ambassador to Vienna where he represented Great Britain at the negotiations that resulted in the 1813 Treaty of Toplitz, which created the final and successful European coalition against Napoleon. He later represented Britain at the negotiations for the 1814 Treaty of Paris.

In 1828 Aberdeen became foreign secretary under the Duke of Wellington, a post he served in the two administrations of Sir Robert Peel. In this role he settled two long-running disputes between Canada and the United States: securing the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842 to resolve the North-East Boundary Dispute and the Oregon Treaty in 1846 resolving the North-West Boundary Dispute. A strong advocate of free trade, Aberdeen supported Peel’s repeal of the Corn Laws, which split the Conservative Party and forced them both to resign from government.

Following the death of Peel in 1850, Aberdeen became the recognized leader of the Peelites, and in 1852 he formed a coalition government with the Whigs following the resignation of the Earl of Derby. As prime minister, his indecision saw him succumb to popular pressure to involve Britain in the Crimean War. In January 1855 he chose to resign because of parliamentary criticism of the conduct of the war. Lord Palmerston succeeded him as prime minister.