Whigs: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 21:58, 21 June 2009

The Whigs were one of the two main political parties in Britain between the 17th and the 19th century, transmuted into the Liberals in the 19th century.

The term itself derives from the Scottish word "whiggamore", which means something like thief or plunderer. This denomination was given to the members of the party in the 17th century by the Tories during the Exclusion Crisis to brand the opponents of the Duke of York. The first Whigs were dominated and coordinated by Anthony Ashley Cooper, first Earl of Shaftesbury. He wielded his influence in Parliament (for the passing of the Exclusion Bills), but he also tried to shape public opinion by means of (almost modern) canvassing, posters, pamphlets. The "Green Ribbon Club" became the centre of Whig activities.

The Whigs put great emphasis on parliamentary authority. They claimed that political authority derived from the people, and they acted from the assumption that an elite should rule the country. Thus, if the monarch did not care about their interests, they might resist him. So, they played an important role in the Glorious Revolution.

Sources:

Oxford Companion to British History
The Companion to British History

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 The Whigs were one of the two main political parties in Britain between the 17th and the 19th century, transmuted into the Liberals in the 19th century.
-The term itself derives from the Scottish word "whiggamore", which means something like thief or plunderer. This denomination was given to the members of the party in the 17th century by the [[Tories]] during the [[Exclusion Crisis]] to brand the opponents of the [[James II|Duke of York]]. The first Whigs were dominated and coordinated by Anthony Ashley Cooper, first Earl of Shaftesbury. He wielded his influence in Parliament (for the passing of the Exclusion Bills), but he also tried to shape public opinion by means of (almost modern) canvassing, posters, pamphlets. The "Green Ribbon Club" became the centre of Whig activities.
+The term itself derives from the Scottish word "whiggamore", which means something like thief or plunderer. This denomination was given to the members of the party in the 17th century by the [[Tories]] during the [[Exclusion crisis|Exclusion Crisis]] to brand the opponents of the [[James II|Duke of York]]. The first Whigs were dominated and coordinated by Anthony Ashley Cooper, first Earl of Shaftesbury. He wielded his influence in Parliament (for the passing of the Exclusion Bills), but he also tried to shape public opinion by means of (almost modern) canvassing, posters, pamphlets. The "Green Ribbon Club" became the centre of Whig activities.
 The Whigs put great emphasis on parliamentary authority. They claimed that political authority derived from the people, and they acted from the assumption that an elite should rule the country. Thus, if the monarch did not care about their interests, they might resist him. So, they played an important role in the [[Glorious Revolution]].