Edmund Burke (1729 or 1730-1797), Statesman

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Burke was one of the eighteenth century's leading statesmen, political thinkers and writers. His impact on the Regency age centres on his Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790), a major work opposing the French Revolution which laid the foundations of modern British conservatism. Originally a Whig, he showed liberal support for the North American colonies and Catholic emancipation. Despite his early reputation as a reformer, Burke's Reflections expressed fears that revolutionary ideals would violently destroy essential British traditions and institutions. These views led him to break with the Whigs and side with the Tories, for whom he became a figurehead.