Every country has a leader who helps change the country and the world. William was that leader in Britain. Born in 1809 to a self-taught Scottish merchant, who taught him to help the average person; he entered politics at the age of 22 in 1833 where he was a “tireless administrator” with “an extraordinary eye for detail” (Wilson 112). At first he was a very strong conservative, who felt that any electoral reform would lead to revolution, he became one of the founding members of the Liberal Party in 1859. He would later say that "I was brought up in distrust and contempt of freedom, and I learned to believe it. This is the key to all my change" (Wilson 102). As prime minister and leader of the opposition for many years, "he was the standard bearer [and champion of many reforms], and his government from 1868 to 1874 was one of the most reformist administrations of the century” (Tompson 287). His ability to “manage large crowds and use mob power as an extraparliamentary weapon” (Wilson) allowed him to push through tough legislation. Parliament and “its sheer greatness, grandeur and moral weight would never be repeated on the political stage” (Wilson 118, 103). whose reforms had a greater influence than Queen Victoria. With the era being named after Queen Victoria, many people believe that Queen Victoria was the most important person of this era. The queen was not popular until later in life. People hated her for her refusal to mourn after her husband's death and for her unenlightened political views. The royal couple played an active role together until 1861, when she entered into prolonged sadness and never made public appearances. It emerged in the 1870s with a much diminished role in g...... middle of paper ...... in 2012. .Findling, John E., ed. Events that have changed Britain since 1689. Ed. Frank W. Thackeray. Westport: Greenwood, 2002. 75-80. Print.Kagan, Donald, Steven E. Ozment, and Frank M. Turner. "Britain towards democracy". The Western Legacy: Since 1300. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007. 684-87. Print.Olechnowicz, Andrzej. The monarchy and the British nation, from 1780 to the present. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007. Print.Tompson, Richard S. Britain: a reference guide from the Renaissance to the present. New York: Facts On File, 2003. Print."William Ewart Gladstone." Educational Spartacus. Network. May 14, 2012. Wilson, A. N. "William Ewart Gladstone." Eminent Victorians. London: W. W. Norton &, 1989. 99-132. Press.