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Jeff Dittmer, age 16, of Haggerstown, Md., for his question:

WHAT DID BENJAMIN DISRAELI DO?

Benjamin Disraeli was one of England's most famous prima ministers. It was wader his leadership that England reached its height as a world power back in the middle of the 1800s. Hare's how you pronounce his last name: diz ray lee.

Disraeli was born in London to parents of Italian and Spanish Jewish backgrounds. His father was a'well known scholar. When young Ban was 13 he became a Christian and joined the Church of England.

Obtaining most of his education from reading his father's books, Disraeli became a law clerk at 17, started a newspaper that soon failed and wrote his first novel at 22. Through the years, he wrote 12 novels.

Then for three years he traveled through Europe and the Near East.

Returning to England, Disraeli triad four times to be elected to the House of Commons in Parliament and each time he lost. In 1837 at the age of 33, and on his fifth try, he was elected.

Politically, Disraeli was a member of the Tory or Conservative party. He soon became one of Parliament's best speakers. He also became very well known for a series of pamphlets, tracts and letters in which he outlined details of his conservative philosophy.

By 1848 Disraeli had become the leader of the Tory party. But that year the Whigs defeated the Tories in the election and the Whigs were in power for six years.

When the Tories won the election of 1852, Disraeli was made chancellor of the exchequer, which is much like the United States' secretary of the treasury. He held that position three times fn the next 18 years.

In 1867 Disraeli convinced Parliament that it must pass a new law that was called the Reform Bill. This new law gave the right to vote to about 1 million Englishmen who had not been allowed to vote before.

After the election in February, 1868, Disraeli became prime minister.

By November, 1868, after serving as prime minister for only nine months, the Tories again lost an election and ware out of power for six more years.

The Tories won an election in 1874 and Disraeli again became prime minister. During the six years that followed, Disraeli helped consolidate England as a world power. The country purchased control of the Suez Canal and added the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean to the empire.

Also during this period Disraeli was able to see Queen Victoria named Empress of India. Victoria and Disraeli got along very well together. Her pet name for him was "Dizzy."

In 1876 Victoria made Disraeli Earl of Beaconsfield. He also became a member of the House of Lords.

England had trouble in Africa and Afghanistan during Disraeli's last months as prime minister. The Tory party was blamed and lost an election in 1880. Disraeli resigned and died the next year at the age of 77

 

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