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Asquith was born at Morley, in Yorkshire, Sept. 12, 1852. Educated at the City of London School and at Balliol College, Oxford, he was admitted to the bar in 1876 and became a queen's counsel in 1890, having made his reputation as junior counsel to the Parnell Commission in 1889. He entered Parliament in 1886 as a Liberal and was home secretary under [[William Gladstone]] from 1892 to 1895. When [[Joseph Chamberlain]] raised the question of tariff reform (that is, imposing taxes on imports which had been untaxed), Asquith campaigned for free trade and as a result was made [[chancellor of the exchequer]] under Sir [[Henry Campbell-Bannerman]] from 1905 to 1908. He increased grants to local governments and reduced the national debt.  

Asquith was born at Morley, in Yorkshire, Sept. 12, 1852. Educated at the City of London School and at Balliol College, Oxford, he was admitted to the bar in 1876 and became a queen's counsel in 1890, having made his reputation as junior counsel to the Parnell Commission in 1889. He entered Parliament in 1886 as a Liberal and was home secretary under [[William Gladstone]] from 1892 to 1895. When [[Joseph Chamberlain]] raised the question of tariff reform (that is, imposing taxes on imports which had been untaxed), Asquith campaigned for free trade and as a result was made [[chancellor of the exchequer]] under Sir [[Henry Campbell-Bannerman]] from 1905 to 1908. He increased grants to local governments and reduced the national debt.  

In the 1906 election the Liberals won their greatest landslide in history. In 1908 Asquith became prime minister with a stellar cabinet of leaders from all factions of the Liberal party. Working with [[David Lloyd George]] and [[Winston Churchill]] he passed the "New Liberalism" legislation setting up unemployment insurance and ending sweatshop conditions; he set the stage for the welfare state in Britain.  In 1908 he introduced old age pensions.<ref> The pensions were small sums given to some people over age 70 who passed a means (poverty) test.  The goal was to reduce poverty among the elderly. </ref>  

In the 1906 election the Liberals won their greatest landslide in history. In 1908 Asquith became prime minister with a stellar cabinet of leaders from all factions of the Liberal party. Working with [[David Lloyd George]] and [[Winston Churchill]] he passed the "New Liberalism" legislation setting up unemployment insurance and ending sweatshop conditions; he set the stage for the welfare state in Britain.  In 1908 he introduced old age pensions.<ref>The pensions were small sums given to some people over age 70 who passed a means (poverty) test.  The goal was to reduce poverty among the elderly.</ref>  

Lloyd George's "People's Budget" of 1909 was the most controversial in British history, for it systematically raised taxes on the rich, especially the landowners, to pay for the welfare programs (and for new battleships). The Conservatives, representing the landed aristocracy, controlled the House of Lords, which rejected the 1909 budget. The Liberals lost their majorities in the two general elections in 1910 but Asquith built a majority coalition with the Irish party, which won the promise of home rule in 1914. Asquith pushed through the [[Parliament bill of 1911]] that abolished the veto power of the House of Lords.  If the Lords tried to block it he had the King's promise that he could create hundreds of new peers who would overwhelm the Conservative majority in Lords.  Asquith's victory marked the permanent end of the House of Lords as a major base of political power. His [[Irish Home Rule]] bill was not so successful. In 1912, over half a million Protestant Ulstermen signed the Ulster Covenant, pledging to resist Home Rule by any means (including violence); they had significant support in the Army. The Irish crisis was postponed by the outbreak of World War I and the bill was not enforced.

Lloyd George's "People's Budget" of 1909 was the most controversial in British history, for it systematically raised taxes on the rich, especially the landowners, to pay for the welfare programs (and for new battleships). The Conservatives, representing the landed aristocracy, controlled the House of Lords, which rejected the 1909 budget. The Liberals lost their majorities in the two general elections in 1910 but Asquith built a majority coalition with the Irish party, which won the promise of home rule in 1914. Asquith pushed through the [[Parliament bill of 1911]] that abolished the veto power of the House of Lords.  If the Lords tried to block it he had the King's promise that he could create hundreds of new peers who would overwhelm the Conservative majority in Lords.  Asquith's victory marked the permanent end of the House of Lords as a major base of political power. His [[Irish Home Rule]] bill was not so successful. In 1912, over half a million Protestant Ulstermen signed the Ulster Covenant, pledging to resist Home Rule by any means (including violence); they had significant support in the Army. The Irish crisis was postponed by the outbreak of World War I and the bill was not enforced.

* Blewett, Neal. ''The Peers, the Parties, and the People: The British General Elections of 1910'' (1971)

* Blewett, Neal. ''The Peers, the Parties, and the People: The British General Elections of 1910'' (1971)

* Cassar, George H.  ''Asquith as War Leader.'' 1994. 295 pp.   

* Cassar, George H.  ''Asquith as War Leader.'' 1994. 295 pp.   

* Cregier, Don M. "The Murder of the British Liberal Party," ''The History Teacher'' Vol. 3, No. 4 (May, 1970), pp. 27-36 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-2745%28197005%293%3A4%3C27%3ATMOTBL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D online edition], blames Asquith, Lloyd George and the voters

* Cregier, Don M. "The Murder of the British Liberal Party," ''The History Teacher'' Vol. 3, No. 4 (May, 1970), pp.&nbsp;27–36 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-2745%28197005%293%3A4%3C27%3ATMOTBL%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D online edition], blames Asquith, Lloyd George and the voters

* Fair, John D.  "Politicians, Historians, and the War: A Reassessment of the Political Crisis of December 1916," ''The Journal of Modern History,'' Vol. 49, No. 3, On Demand Supplement. (Sep., 1977), pp. D1329-D1343. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801%28197709%2949%3A3%3CD1329%3APHATWA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 in JSTOR]

* Fair, John D.  "Politicians, Historians, and the War: A Reassessment of the Political Crisis of December 1916," ''The Journal of Modern History,'' Vol. 49, No. 3, On Demand Supplement. (Sep., 1977), pp. D1329-D1343. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0022-2801%28197709%2949%3A3%3CD1329%3APHATWA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0 in JSTOR]

* Fry, Michael. "Political Change in Britain, August 1914 to December 1916: Lloyd George Replaces Asquith: The Issues Underlying the Drama," ''The Historical Journal'' Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1988), pp. 609-627 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-246X%28198809%2931%3A3%3C609%3APCIBA1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 in JSTOR]

* Fry, Michael. "Political Change in Britain, August 1914 to December 1916: Lloyd George Replaces Asquith: The Issues Underlying the Drama," ''The Historical Journal'' Vol. 31, No. 3 (Sep., 1988), pp.&nbsp;609–627 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-246X%28198809%2931%3A3%3C609%3APCIBA1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-%23 in JSTOR]

* Hankey, Lord. ''The Supreme Command, 1914-1918''. 2 vols. 1961.  

* Hankey, Lord. ''The Supreme Command, 1914-1918''. 2 vols. 1961.  

* Havighurst, Alfred F. ''Twentieth-Century Britain.'' 1966. standard survey [http://www.questia.com/library/book/twentieth-century-britain-by-alfred-f-havighurst.jsp online edition]

* Havighurst, Alfred F. ''Twentieth-Century Britain.'' 1966. standard survey [http://www.questia.com/library/book/twentieth-century-britain-by-alfred-f-havighurst.jsp online edition]

* Hazlehurst, Cameron. "Asquith as Prime Minister, 1908-1916," ''The English Historical Review'' Vol. 85, No. 336 (Jul., 1970), pp. 502-531 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28197007%2985%3A336%3C502%3AAAPM1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N in JSTOR]

* Hazlehurst, Cameron. "Asquith as Prime Minister, 1908-1916," ''The English Historical Review'' Vol. 85, No. 336 (Jul., 1970), pp.&nbsp;502–531 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28197007%2985%3A336%3C502%3AAAPM1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N in JSTOR]

* Jenkins, Roy. ''Asquith: Portrait of a man and an era'' (1978), a standard biography

* Jenkins, Roy. ''Asquith: Portrait of a man and an era'' (1978), a standard biography

* Koss, Stephen. ''Asquith'' (1976), a standard biography

* Koss, Stephen. ''Asquith'' (1976), a standard biography