Whigs (British political party)

The Whigs were from the mid-17th to the mid 19th century, one of the two parties of the British parliamentary system. Their opponent was the Conservative Party. In 1859, the Whigs joined forces with moderate Tories to the Liberal Party.

History

Already in the second half of the 17th century could be observed in the English Parliament, the formation of parliamentary groups, but have not had the character of parties. By the Glorious Revolution, the structures solidify but increasingly blurred: the Whigs were strict opponent of Rekatholisierungsversuche James II and consequently instrumental in the initiation of the Glorious Revolution and the dismissal of Jacob, however, operated with leading Tories.

The term Whig was originally used offensive of political opponents and means drovers ' ( Whiggamore ). For the first time the term was used for a parliamentary group during the crisis surrounding the Popish Plot and the Exclusion Bill in the years 1679-1681. This tried unsuccessfully to prevent a large anti-Catholic conspiracy theory James, Duke of York, heir to the throne of his brother. The official name of the Whigs was at first Country Party ( Party), as opposed to the Tories, the Court Party ( court party ).

With the accession of the first Hanoverian to the British throne, George I, in 1714 a fifty- year long period of government responsibility of the Whigs, in which the Tories in the political arena played almost no role began. Under George III. This changed when the king hoped to increase his power, when he got rid of the Whigs.

During the reign of George III. had the radical Whigs ( Commonwealthmen ), the mastermind especially John Milton and John Locke were in England only a small following. In contrast their views in the North American colonies were extremely popular. The settlers found themselves encouraged to separate from the mother country from which they were " enslaved " felt, and to declare their independence through them.

William Pitt the Younger began a thirty-year domination of the government by the Tories to the Whigs with Earl Grey in 1830 again placed the prime minister. It evolved from a broad alliance of aristocratic landowners a more uniform group led by Charles James Fox, whose unifying factor is the opposition to William Pitt the Younger.

Generally, the party stood for political and economic liberalism, especially for free trade, a strong parliament with the right of resistance in the sense of John Locke, the abolition of slavery and religious tolerance towards the so-called dissenters ( Protestant denominations that the Episcopal system of the Church of England rejected ). Your followers consisted mainly of the liberal bourgeoisie. 1832 continued the Liberal government of Earl Grey, the first Reform Bill through, which provided for an extension of the franchise to broader layers of the population, and a new division of constituencies on the basis of population, the year after slavery throughout the British Empire was abolished. The supporters of the Whigs found primarily in progressive and commercially oriented layers of the emerging bourgeoisie. The leaders met informally in particular at Brooks 's Club, and later the Reform Club.

The Liberal Party, who, when she was replaced in this position by the Social Democratic Labour Party until the 1920s, formed the second pillar of the British two-party system and its successor organization ( from the merger of the Whigs and moderate Tories was taken on June 6, 1859 since 1988), the left-liberal liberal Democrats, are still represented as the third largest party in the British Parliament.

Known Whigs

Fiction

In The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson the era from 1655 to 1714 is shown with its political, social, economic, cultural, scientific and technological upheaval. Starting with the second, but particularly in the third volume, the action takes place against the backdrop of increasing political currents of the Whigs and Tories in London.

Whig Party (United States) Liberal Party (UK) Parliament of England James II of England Exclusion Crisis Reform Act 1832 Social liberalism
818715
de