Disraeli was the oldest son and second child of Isaac D’Israeli and Maria Basevi.He was of Italian-Jewish origin, and his sister was Sarah Disraeli. The most significant incident in Disraeli’s childhood was his father’s dispute with the Bevis Marks synagogue in 1813, which led to his decision to have his children baptized as Christians in 1817. Until 1858, Jews were barred from Parliament due to their religion; without his father’s choice, Disraeli’s political career would never have taken the shape it did.Benjamin D’Israeli had previously convinced his father’s friend, publisher John Murray, to create the Representative, a daily newspaper. It was a colossal flop. Disraeli fought Murray and others because he couldn’t pay his pledged part of the capital. Furthermore, in his anonymously published book Vivian Grey (1826–27), the Earl of Beaconsfield mocked Murray while presenting the narrative of the failure. When Disraeli’s identity as the author was revealed, he was widely chastised.After reading about Disraeli’s achievements in British history and his relationship with the liberal party, also check out Bernadette Soubirous facts and Bernard Montgomery facts.Benjamin Disraeli Fun FactsAccording to historians, Earl of Beaconsfield Disraeli had a psychological breakdown and accomplished nothing for the following four years. In 1830, he embarked on a 16-month journey across the Mediterranean nations and the Middle East. Disraeli published his book, The Young Duke (1831).These journeys not only provided the British politician with material for Oriental descriptions that he employed in later books, but they also shaped his perspective toward India, Egypt, and Turkey in the 1870s.As the prime minister, Disraeli was preceded by William Ewart Gladstone, succeeded by William Ewart.His tweedy attire, wit and oddity, and exotic good looks made him a striking if not always a popular character in London social and literary life.He was invited to trendy events and met most of the day’s celebrities. Like many of his books, Contarini Fleming (1832) has personal elements and echoes of the political beliefs that Disraeli proposed. In 1837 Disraeli published the novels Venetia and Henrietta Temple.Historic Facts About Benjamin DisraeliBy 1831, Disraeli had decided to enter politics and was looking for a seat in Buckinghamshire, near Wycombe, where his family had lived. He ran for and lost High Wycombe twice as an independent radical in 1832 and 1835.Recognizing that he needed to join one of the political parties, he devised an odd interpretation of Toryism that incorporated some of his radicalism. In 1835, he ran for Taunton as the official Conservative candidate but lost. However, he ran for Maidstone in Kent as a Conservative candidate in 1837 and won. In the House of Commons, his first address was a flop. He was yelled down because of his elaborate analogies, exaggerated mannerisms, and fashionable attire.Disraeli quickly established himself as an eloquent orator. In 1839, he married Mary Ann Lewis, the widow of Wyndham Lewis, who had a life interest in a London property and a salary of £4,000 a year. ‘Dizzy married me for my money, but if he had the chance again, he would marry me for love,’ she would reply when Disraeli mocked her in a company that he had married her for her worldly assets. Her spouse agreed.Political Facts About Benjamin DisraeliSir Robert Peel, the Conservative leader, promoted Disraeli, but when the Conservatives won the election in 1841, and Peel became Prime Minister, Disraeli was not offered a cabinet position.He was humiliated by the rejection, and his feelings for Peel and his style of conservatism grew sour. Young England, led by George Smythe, looked to Disraeli for inspiration, and Disraeli arranged for the same, most notably in his novel Coningsby; or, The New Generation (1844). The hero is modeled after Smythe, and the calm, pragmatic, humdrum conservatism that Peel represented is contrasted to Young England’s romantic, aristocratic, nostalgic, and escapist attitude.Disraeli discovered his problem in 1845 when the Irish famine combined with Richard Cobden’s arguments prompted Peel to abolish the Corn Laws, which imposed protective taxes on foreign imported grain. Young England could unite against Peel, not just within their own ranks but also among the vast majority of rural squires who were the Conservative Party’s backbone.Benjamin Disraeli argued that the Conservatives were in danger of being seen as an anti-reform party. He also became the leader of the House of Commons and was responsible for the introduction of measures to reform Parliament.Encouraging Facts About Benjamin DisraeliDisraeli was undeniably the opposition leader against the government formed by William Gladstone in the House of Commons. Disraeli declared this due to the devotion of most former conservative ministers to Peel and the death of Bentinck.Disraeli knew the importance of parliamentary reform and introduced the 1867 Reform Act.Disraeli spent the next several years working to free his party from the ‘hopeless cause’ of protection, which he had come to see as such.While Disraeli’s policy was sound, his pride in and insistence on his Jewish background engendered suspicion among his supporters. On the other hand, his abilities were essential to the party’s success.His election to the House of Commons as a member of the Buckinghamshire constituency in 1847 and the acquisition of Hughenden Manor, near High Wycombe, in 1848 bolstered his social and political prominence. His financial situation, on the other hand, remained precarious.Social reforms passed by the Disraeli government included: the Artisans Dwellings Act (1875), the Public Health Act (1875), the Pure Food and Drugs Act (1875).When Whig-Liberal leader Lord John Russell proposed a moderate reform package in 1865, his administration was overthrown by a combination of Tory opposition and a mutiny against Russell. With the Earl of Beaconsfield Disraeli as chancellor of the Exchequer, Derby established his third minority administration of the conservative party.Although Queen Victoria and Lord Derby had proposed a new Conservative reform measure, Disraeli introduced it in the Commons and led the campaign for it with unrivaled zeal and mastery of parliamentary techniques. Lord Derby appointed Disraeli as his chancellor of the exchequer.He thought the law should be broad and have certain protections, and he was confident that a Conservative-led administration would pass it. However, because the Liberals had a majority, he was forced to accept their revisions, which eliminated practically all of the protections. The bill that passed increased the number of people eligible to vote and was more democratic than most Conservatives expected.When Derby stepped down from politics in 1868, Disraeli became the new Prime Minister on a suggestion from Queen Victoria. ‘I have climbed to the top of a greasy pole,’ he replied to a friend’s congratulations. The administration was merely a caretaker since the general election in 1868 was postponed due to creating a new electoral register, which the Liberals won later that year. By quitting before Parliament met, Disraeli made a precedent.Politics transformed during the next 12 years, moving away from the chaotic assemblage of ill-defined, fluctuating factions that had characterized Disraeli’s career from the start. The traditional politics of individuals has given way to establishing two parties with unified programs. The two-party leaders, Benjamin Disraeli and William E. Gladstone, were bitter rivals who divided the parties.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Benjamin Disraeli facts, then why not take a look at Bernardo De Galvez facts or Benjamin Britten facts?
Disraeli was the oldest son and second child of Isaac D’Israeli and Maria Basevi.
