Whigs and Tories

Whigs and Tories

These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution. The Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Whigs were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party, which still bears the nickname today.