Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford, KG PC (April 13, 1732 – August 5, 1792), more often known by his courtesy title, Lord North, which he uses from 1752 until 1790, is Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782.

He leads Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence.

He also holds a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

North's reputation among historians has swung back and forth.

It reaches its nadir in the late nineteenth century when he is depicted as a creature of the king and an incompetent who lost the American colonies.

In the early twentieth century a revisionism emphasizes his strengths in administering the Treasury, handling the House of Commons, and in defending the Church of England.

Herbert Butterfield, however, argues that his indolence was a barrier to efficient crisis management; he neglected his role in supervising the entire war effort.