The 14th Earl of Derby, Edward George Geoffrey Smith Stanley, held the role of Prime Minister to Queen Victoria for three terms in addition to his positions as the longest-serving leader of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom. However, his prolific journey through statesmanship actually began on our side of the Atlantic, in the young state of New York. In documenting his travels as he explored the East coast (Charleston a stop on his route), Edward Stanley’s experiences dictate his path to an incredible political career. As part of another grand tour, The Countess of Derby who happens to be married to the 19th Earl of Derby, is touring the east coast and other designated cities to share more personally about the recent publication of A North American Tour Journal 1824-25 The Making of a Prime Minister. The Earl of Derby’s remarkable journey across America and Canada and his profound insights have the power to reshape our understanding of the nation’s history. In partnership with the SC Historical Society, we are so pleased to host Lady Derby, along with her dear friend and UVA Historian, Professor Andrew O’Shaughnessy, to reflect on the incredible life and contributions of Edward Stanley as one of the most inspiring thinkers of the Victorian Era.
If you are unable to attend the event, but would like to purchase one or more signed copies, please call Buxton Books to place your order at (843) 723-1670.
About the Book
On 21st July 1824 Edward Geoffrey Stanley landed in New York, after a sea passage of 37 days from Liverpool. Over the following eight months before his return to Britain he made a remarkable tour of eastern Canada and the young Republic of the United States or America, traveling by horse, carriage and boat, along tracks, lakes and rivers. He explored New England, upstate New York, Niagara Falls, the St Lawrence River and the great lakes of Ontario and Erie. He crossed the Appalachian Mountains, before traveling down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. Stanley was horrified to see the condition of the enslaved Africans working on the plantations in the Deep South, alongside the destruction of the Native Americans and the abject poverty of the Irish emigrants. He continued his journey overland from Alabama to Charleston, South Carolina, before taking a coastal ship up to Washington DC where he witnessed the inauguration of the sixth American President John Quincy Adams. Stanley’s encounters with the culture, economics, politics and peoples of North America stood him in good stead for his later career as a political reformer and distinguished statesman.
About The Countess of Derby
The Countess of Derby, Caroline, known as Cazzy to her friends, is a distinguished historian, author, and cultural ambassador. Born a Neville, married to a Stanley and curator to the Royal Collection, she developed a profound love of heritage and an interest in the intersection of history and contemporary issues. She has dedicated her career to uncovering and sharing lesser-known historical narratives and artworks that she has unearthed during her restoration of her Derby’s ancestral home, Knowsley Hall, to its former glory. As of March 2025 she will have published the youth travel journals of the 14th Earl of Derby, an extraordinary historical account that offers fresh insights into early 19th-century North America. Caroline’s passion for storytelling and her commitment to historical preservation make her a captivating speaker and an influential voice in the literary and cultural communities.
About Professor Andrew O’Shaughnessy
Andrew O’Shaughnessy is a distinguished historian and Professor of History at the University of Virginia. From 2003 to 2022, he served as Vice President of The Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello) and led the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies. A dual citizen of Britain and the United States, O’Shaughnessy completed his undergraduate and doctoral degrees at Oxford University. His illustrious teaching career includes roles at Eton College, Southern Methodist University, and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he chaired the History department. O’Shaughnessy is the acclaimed author of The Men Who Lost America, which won eight national awards, including the George Washington Book Prize and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in American History Book Award. His other notable works include An Empire Divided and The Illimitable Freedom of the Human Mind. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he also serves as an editor of the Jeffersonian America series. O’Shaughnessy has also co-edited The European Friends of the American Revolution, which was published in 2023. His latest book, which will be published by Yale early in 2025, is co-authored with Trevor Burnard, The American Revolution and the Crisis of the British Empire. O’Shaughnessy’s expertise and contributions make him a leading voice in American history.
