Editing Charles James Fox (section)

=== American Revolution ===
Fox, who occasionally corresponded with [[Thomas Jefferson]] and had met [[Benjamin Franklin]] in Paris,<ref name="MI"/> correctly predicted that Britain had little practical hope of subduing the colonies and interpreted the American cause approvingly as a struggle for liberty against the oppressive policies of a despotic and unaccountable executive.<ref name="MI"/> It was at this time that Fox and his supporters took up the habit of dressing in buff and blue, the colours of the uniforms in [[George Washington|Washington's]] army. Fox's friend, the [[Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle|Earl of Carlisle]], observed that any setback for the British Government in America was "a great cause of amusement to Charles."<ref>{{harvnb|Mitchell|1992|p=27}}</ref> Even after the [[Battle of Long Island]] in 1776, Fox stated that
{{blockquote|I hope that it will be a point of honour among us all to support the American pretensions in adversity as much as we did in their prosperity, and that we shall never desert those who have acted ''unsuccessfully'' upon Whig principles.<ref>{{harvnb|Reid|1969|p=62}}</ref>}}
On 31 October the same year, Fox responded to the King's address to Parliament with "one of his finest and most animated orations, and with severity to the answered person", so much so that, when he sat down, no member of the Government would attempt to reply.<ref>{{harvnb|Reid|1969|p=63}}</ref>

Fox shared a mutual antipathy with [[George III]] that profoundly shaped Fox's political career. George III was among the most enthusiastic prosecutors of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Fox became convinced, that George III was determined to challenge the authority of parliament and the balance of the constitution established in the [[Glorious Revolution]] of 1688 to achieve a continental-style tyranny. George III in return thought that Fox had "cast off every principle of common honour and honesty ... [a man who is] as contemptible as he is odious ... [and has an] aversion to all restraints."{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}  On 6 April 1780 [[John Dunning, 1st Baron Ashburton]] introduced a motion, asking that "The influence of the Crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished". It was passed by the Commons in a vote of 233 to 215.<ref>{{harvnb|Reid|1969|p=108}}</ref> Fox thought that the motion is "glorious", saying on 24 April that:
{{blockquote| the question now was ... whether that beautiful fabric [i.e. the constitution] ... was to be maintained in that freedom ... for which blood had been spilt; or whether we were to submit to that system of despotism, which had so many advocates in this country.<ref name="MI"/>}}

Fox, however, had not been present in the House of parliament for the beginning of the Dunning debate, as he had been occupied in the adjoining eleventh-century [[Westminster Hall]], serving as chairman of a mass public meeting before a large banner that read "Annual Parliaments and Equal Representation".<ref>{{harvnb|Reid|1969|p=109}}</ref> This was the period when Fox, hardening against the influence of the British Crown, was embraced by the radical movement of the late eighteenth century. When the shocking [[Gordon riots]] exploded in London in June 1780, Fox, though deploring the violence of the crowd, declared that he would "much rather be governed by a mob than a standing army."<ref>{{harvnb|Thompson|1963|p=78}}</ref> Later, in July, Fox was returned for the populous and prestigious parliamentary constituency of [[Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)|Westminster]], with around 12,000 electors, and acquired the title "Man of the People".<ref name="MI"/>