Granville Leveson-Gower

Granville Leveson-Gower
Born	11 May 1815 London
Died	31 March 1891 (Age 75) London
Nationality	British
Alma mater	Eton, Christ Church (Oxford)
Party	Liberal Party (UK)
British Secretary of State who improved relations with the United States  Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs  In office 26 December 1851 - 27 February 1852 Preceded by Henry John Temple Succeeded by James Harris  Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs  In office 6 July 1870 - 21 February 1874  Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs  In office 28 April 1880 - 24 June 1885 Preceded by Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil Succeeded by Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil  Lord President of the Council In office 28 December 1852 - 12 June 1854 Succeeded by John Russell (UK PM)  Lord President of the Council In office 8 February 1855 - 26 February 1858 Preceded by John Russell (UK PM)  Lord President of the Council In office 18 June 1859 - 6 July 1866

Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville, styled Lord Leveson until 1846, was a British Liberal statesman from the Leveson-Gower family.

In a political career spanning over 50 years, he was thrice Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, led the Liberal Party in the House of Lords for almost 30 years and was joint Leader of the Liberal Party between 1875 and 1880. He is best known for his pacific stewardship (apart from in the colonies) of Britain's external relations, 1870–74 and 1880–85, in co-operation with his best friend, Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone. His foreign policy was based on patience, peace, and no alliances; it kept Britain free from European wars and improved relations with the United States after the failed British support to the Southern states' bid for secession during the American Civil War.

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