How did the Licensing Act of 1737 affect Henry Fielding’s career?

The Licensing Act of 1737, pushed through Parliament by Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole in response to Henry Fielding’s merciless political satire, effectively ended Fielding’s career as a playwright. The act mandated that all new plays receive approval and a license from the lord chamberlain before production, which severely restricted the satirical freedom Fielding had previously enjoyed.12

Faced with the loss of his livelihood and the need to support his family, Fielding was forced to pivot to other professional pursuits. He began reading for the bar to become a lawyer and turned his creative energies toward journalism and, most significantly, the novel. This transition ultimately led him to write some of the most celebrated works in English literature, including The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling.12