St. John, Henry, Viscount Bolingbroke: Return to England

On his return to England, although excluded from the House of Lords, he exerted great political influence, at first supporting but later organizing strong opposition to Robert Walpole. He initiated new methods of opposition to the government, such as the use of parliamentary inquiries, and attacked the government in the pages of a new periodical, the Craftsman, to which he contributed a famous series of letters, including a “Dissertation upon Parties” (1735), under the signature of Occasional Writer.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Retirement
• Return to England
• Flight to France
• Political Rise
• Bibliography

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