Whig and Tory
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What were the Whigs and Tories in England?
In England, the Whigs and Tories were members of two opposing political factions, especially during the 18th century. The terms Whig and Tory emerged around 1679 during a dispute over the succession of James, duke of York.
- Whig Originally a term for horse thieves and Scottish Presbyterians, it implied nonconformity and rebellion. Whigs sought to limit royal authority and increase parliamentary power.
- Tory An Irish term for a papist outlaw, it was applied to those who supported the hereditary right of James despite his Roman Catholic faith. The Tories defended conservative political causes and became the Conservative Party after 1831.
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When did these two political groups first appear?
The terms Whig and Tory emerged in 1679 in England during the dispute over the succession of James, duke of York. "Whig" was initially a derogatory term for horse thieves and Scottish Presbyterians, while "Tory" was an Irish term for a Papist outlaw.
After 1784, William Pitt the Younger led a new Tory Party, and Charles James Fox led a revived Whig Party. After a period of party confusion after 1815, the labels of Conservative and Liberal were assumed by each faction.
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How did the beliefs of Whigs and Tories differ?
The Whigs and Tories, emerging as opposing political factions in England during the 18th century, held distinct beliefs that shaped their identities and political actions.
Whigs stood for Parliament's right to determine the succession to the throne. They supported measures to counter Catholic-absolutist France, advocated for religious tolerance, and broadly interpreted the Toleration Act. Their base included aristocratic landowning families and the wealthy middle class.
Tories upheld the Anglican Church, the landed gentry, and the principle of passive obedience. They were divided over the Hanoverian succession and favored a "blue sea" strategy of dominating shipping lanes. Toryism became identified with Anglicanism and the squirearchy.
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What important events did Whigs and Tories influence in English history?
The Whigs and Tories were influential political factions in England, especially during the 18th century. Emerging as terms of abuse in 1679, they evolved to represent distinct interests and played significant roles in shaping English history.
Key Events Influenced by Whigs and Tories
- Glorious Revolution: The Glorious Revolution (1688–89) was a joint achievement that modified the division between the Whigs and Tories. It led to a limited constitutional monarchy.
- Queen Anne's Reign: During Queen Anne's reign, the Whigs stood for Parliament's right to determine the succession to the throne. They also pushed for measures to blunt the international pretensions of Catholic-absolutist France, a broad interpretation of the Toleration Act, and a latitudinarian approach to religion. The Tories, representing the Anglican church and the land, were divided over the Hanoverian succession.
- Act of Union: The Whigs were instrumental in the unexpected union with Scotland in 1707. Sidney Godolphin passed the Aliens Act of 1705, which led Scottish leaders to negotiate for a permanent union. This secured England's northern border and ensured a peaceful Hanoverian succession.
- Tory Party Revival: After 1784, William Pitt the Younger led a new Tory Party, representing the country gentry and merchant classes. The Whig Party, led by Charles James Fox, represented religious dissenters and industrialists seeking reforms.
- 19th Century Conservatism: In the 19th century, the Tory faction evolved into the Conservative Party, retaining significant power. Benjamin Disraeli broadened the party's support by extending the franchise to industrial workers.
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How did these parties impact the English Parliament?
The Whig and Tory parties significantly impacted the English Parliament, evolving from abusive terms in 1679 to influential political forces. The Glorious Revolution (1688–89) saw both parties accepting a limited constitutional monarchy.
The Whigs, representing aristocratic families and wealthy middle-class interests, carried out significant reforms, such as ending slavery in British colonies. The Tories, initially representing landed gentry and Anglicanism, saw a revival under William Pitt the Younger, broadening their base to include the merchant classes.
The power dynamic between the houses shifted, diminishing the House of Lords' authority through acts in 1911 and 1949, which solidified the Commons' superiority. These transformations reshaped British politics, leading to the emergence of the Conservative and Liberal parties.
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What became of the Whigs and Tories in later British politics?
The Whig and Tory parties evolved significantly in later British politics. After the reign of George III (1760–1820), the political landscape shifted, and new party alignments began to emerge.
William Pitt the Younger led a new Tory Party, representing the country gentry and merchant classes, while Charles James Fox led a revived Whig Party, advocating for religious dissenters and industrialists.
Over time, the parties transformed further. After 1815, the conservatism of Sir Robert Peel and Benjamin Disraeli and the liberalism of Lord John Russell and William Ewart Gladstone emerged. The labels Conservative and Liberal were assumed by each faction, respectively. While the Tory label persisted for the Conservative Party, the Whig label gradually lost its political significance.
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Whig and Tory, members of two opposing political parties or factions in England, particularly during the 18th century. Originally “Whig” and “Tory” were terms of abuse introduced in 1679 during the heated struggle over the bill to exclude James, duke of York (afterward James II), from the succession. Whig—whatever its origin in Scottish Gaelic—was a term applied to horse thieves and, later, to Scottish Presbyterians; it connoted nonconformity and rebellion and was applied to those who claimed the power of excluding the heir from the throne. Tory was an Irish term suggesting a papist outlaw and was applied to those who supported the hereditary right of James despite his Roman Catholic faith.
The Glorious Revolution (1688–89) greatly modified the division in principle between the two parties, for it had been a joint achievement. Thereafter most Tories accepted something of the Whig doctrines of limited constitutional monarchy rather than divine-right absolutism. Under Queen Anne, the Tories represented the resistance, mainly by the country gentry, to religious toleration and foreign entanglements. Toryism became identified with Anglicanism and the squirearchy and Whiggism with the aristocratic, landowning families and the financial interests of the wealthy middle classes.
The death of Anne in 1714, the manner in which George I came to the throne as a nominee of the Whigs, and the flight (1715) of the Tory leader Henry St. John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, to France conspired to destroy the political power of the Tories as a party.
For nearly 50 years thereafter, rule was by aristocratic groups and connections, regarding themselves as Whigs by sentiment and tradition. The die-hard Tories were discredited as Jacobites, seeking the restoration of the Stuart heirs to the throne, though about 100 country gentlemen, regarding themselves as Tories, remained members of the House of Commons throughout the years of the Whig hegemony. As individuals and at the level of local politics, administration, and influence, such “Tories” remained of considerable importance.
The reign of George III (1760–1820) brought a shift of meanings to the two words. No Whig Party as such existed at the time, only a series of aristocratic groups and family connections operating in Parliament through patronage and influence. Nor was there a Tory Party, only Tory sentiment, tradition, and temperament surviving among certain families and social groups. The so-called King’s Friends, from whom George III preferred to draw his ministers (especially under Lord North [afterward 2nd earl of Guilford], 1770–82), came from both traditions and from neither. Real party alignments began to take shape only after 1784, when profound political issues that deeply stirred public opinion were arising, such as the controversy over the American Revolution.
After 1784 William Pitt the Younger emerged as the leader of a new Tory Party, which broadly represented the interests of the country gentry, the merchant classes, and official administerial groups. In opposition, a revived Whig Party, led by Charles James Fox, came to represent the interests of religious dissenters, industrialists, and others who sought electoral, parliamentary, and philanthropic reforms.
The French Revolution and the wars against France soon further complicated the division between parties. A large section of the more moderate Whigs deserted Fox and supported Pitt. After 1815 and a period of party confusion, there eventually emerged the conservatism of Sir Robert Peel and Benjamin Disraeli, earl of Beaconsfield, and the liberalism of Lord John Russell and William Ewart Gladstone, with the party labels of Conservative and Liberal assumed by each faction, respectively. Although the label Tory has continued to be used to designate the Conservative Party, Whig has ceased to have much political meaning.
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