1780 British general election

{{short description|Election in Great Britain}} {{No footnotes|date=November 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox election | country = Kingdom of Great Britain | type = parliamentary | ongoing = no | previous_election = 1774 British general election | previous_year = 1774 | previous_mps = List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1774 | next_election = 1784 British general election | next_year = 1784 | seats_for_election = All [[Unreformed House of Commons|558 seats]] in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] | majority_seats = 280 | elected_mps = List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1780 | election_date = {{start and end dates|1780|9|6|1780|10|18|df=yes}} | image_size = 160x160px | image1 = Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford by Nathaniel Dance, (later Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Bt).jpg | leader1 = [[Frederick North, Lord North|Lord North]] | leaders_seat1 = [[Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)|Banbury]] | party1 = [[North ministry|Northite]] | color1 = 3333cc | seats1 = '''260''' | seat_change1 = {{decrease}}83 | popular_vote1 = | percentage1 =  | image2 = Henryseymour.jpg | leader2 = [[Henry Seymour Conway]] | leaders_seat2 = [[Thetford (UK Parliament constituency)|Thetford]] | party2 = [[Rockingham Whigs|Rockinghamite]] | colour2 = F0DC82 | seats2 = 254 | seat_change2 = {{increase}}39 | popular_vote2 = | percentage2 = | title = [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] | posttitle = Prime Minister after<br />election | before_election = [[Frederick North, Lord North|Lord North]] | before_party = [[North ministry|Northite]] | after_election = [[Frederick North, Lord North|Lord North]] | after_party = [[North ministry|Northite]] | map_image = 1780 British GE composition diagram.svg | map_caption = Composition of the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] after the election }}

The '''1780 British general election''' returned members to serve in the [[House of Commons of Great Britain|House of Commons]] of the 15th [[Parliament of Great Britain]] to be summoned after the merger of the [[Parliament of England]] and the [[Parliament of Scotland]] in 1707. The election was held during the [[American War of Independence]] and returned [[Frederick North, Lord North|Lord North]] to form a new government with a small and rocky majority. The opposition consisted largely of the [[Rockingham Whigs]], the [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] faction led by the [[Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham|Marquess of Rockingham]]. North's opponents referred to his supporters as [[Tories (British political party)|Tories]], but no Tory party existed at the time and his supporters rejected the label.

==Summary of the constituencies== See [[1796 British general election]] for details. The constituencies used were the same throughout the existence of the Parliament of Great Britain.

==Dates of election== The general election was held between 6 September 1780 and 18 October 1780.

At this period elections did not take place at the same time in every constituency. The returning officer in each county or [[parliamentary borough]] fixed the precise date (see [[hustings]] for details of the conduct of the elections).

==Results== [[File:1780 British general election results.svg|300px]]

===Seats summary=== {{bar box |title=Parliamentary seats |titlebar=#ddd |width=375px |barwidth=480px |bars= {{bar percent|'''Northite'''|#3333CC|50.6}} {{bar percent|Rockinghamite|#F0DC82|49.4}} }}

==See also== *[[List of parliaments of Great Britain]] *[[List of MPs elected in the British general election, 1780]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

* ''British Electoral Facts 1832–1999'', compiled and edited by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher (Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2000). (For dates of elections before 1832, see the footnote to Table 5.02). * {{Title case|NAMIER, L. B., & BROOKE, J.}} (1964). The House of Commons, 1754–1790. New York, Published for the History of Parliament Trust by Oxford University Press {{British elections (1707-1800)}}

[[Category:1780 elections]] [[Category:1780 in Great Britain]] [[Category:Elections to the Parliament of Great Britain|1780]] [[Category:Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham]] [[Category:Frederick North, Lord North]]