Born October 17, 1725
London, England
Died December 26, 1797
London, England

Political leader, writer, publisher

"The government [of Great Britain] have sent the spirit of discord through the land, and I will prophesy, that it will never be extinguished, but by the extinction of their power."
Portrait: John Wilkes. Reproduced courtesy of the Library of Congress.

John Wilkes was a London radical who favored revolutionary changes in England's political structure. His newspaper articles irritated King George III (see entry) and British lawmakers (Parliament) so much that he was several times expelled from his seat in Parliament. The public was outraged over this treatment, and the important question was raised—whether Parliament could ignore the will of voters. Wilkes became known as a champion of the common people and a crusader for freedom of the press and the reform of Parliament. American colonists made a hero out of him because...