Tory Party
Quick Summary
The Tory Party was a historical political faction in England, particularly prominent in the 18th century, that eventually evolved into the modern Conservative Party. Originally a term of abuse, "Tory" was applied to those who supported the hereditary right of succession, even for Roman Catholic claimants like James II.12
The Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 modified the division between Tories and their rivals, the Whigs. Most Tories came to accept a limited constitutional monarchy rather than divine-right absolutism. Under Queen Anne, Tories represented the country gentry's resistance to religious toleration and foreign wars, aligning with Anglicanism and the squirearchy.1
The death of Anne in 1714 and the subsequent Hanoverian succession led to a period of Whig dominance, discrediting the Tories as Jacobites seeking to restore the Stuart heirs. However, Tory sentiment persisted. By 1784, under William Pitt the Younger, a new Tory Party emerged, representing the interests of the country gentry and merchant classes. This party eventually adopted the label "Conservative" after 1831, broadening its appeal and adapting to changing political landscapes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.123
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- Henry Saint John, 1st Viscount BolingbrokeEarly career.
…Harley to ally with the Tory Party as the best means to defeat the Whigs.
Read More…Harley to ally with the Tory Party as the best means to defeat the Whigs.
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Benjamin DisraeliPolitical beginnings…a somewhat eccentric interpretation of Toryism, which some features of his radicalism fitted. In 1835 he unsuccessfully stood for Taunton as the official Conservative candidate. His extravagant behaviour, great debts, and open liaison with Henrietta, wife of Sir Francis Sykes (the prototype of the heroine in his novel Henrietta Temple…
Read More…a somewhat eccentric interpretation of Toryism, which some features of his radicalism fitted. In 1835 he unsuccessfully stood for Taunton as the official Conservative candidate. His extravagant behaviour, great debts, and open liaison with Henrietta, wife of Sir Francis Sykes (the prototype of the heroine in his novel Henrietta Temple…
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James II…the leadership of the Anglican Tories, whose power in local government was reestablished and increased by the “remodeling” of the borough corporations and the government of the counties in their favour. By 1684 James’s influence on state policy was paramount, and when he finally came to the throne on February…
Read More…the leadership of the Anglican Tories, whose power in local government was reestablished and increased by the “remodeling” of the borough corporations and the government of the counties in their favour. By 1684 James’s influence on state policy was paramount, and when he finally came to the throne on February…
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John Churchill, 1st duke of MarlboroughPolitical rise and fallBoth Marlborough and Godolphin were Tories of a traditional kind and so were staunch supporters of the crown and the court as well as of the church. They allied themselves at first with Robert Harley, later the 1st earl of Oxford, leader of a new breed of Tory hostile to…
Read MoreBoth Marlborough and Godolphin were Tories of a traditional kind and so were staunch supporters of the crown and the court as well as of the church. They allied themselves at first with Robert Harley, later the 1st earl of Oxford, leader of a new breed of Tory hostile to…
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Robert Harley, 1st earl of Oxford…British statesman who headed the Tory ministry from 1710 to 1714. Although by birth and education he was a Whig and a Dissenter, he gradually over the years changed his politics, becoming the leader of the Tory and Anglican party.
Read More…British statesman who headed the Tory ministry from 1710 to 1714. Although by birth and education he was a Whig and a Dissenter, he gradually over the years changed his politics, becoming the leader of the Tory and Anglican party.
Read More