The Whig Party was a political faction in the UK and US that opposed royalist absolutism, Catholicism, and French associations. They advocated for expanding the power of Parliament, establishing free trade, and social issues such as the abolition of slavery. In the US, they were established in 1833 and opposed the growing power of the presidency. The party fractured in the 1850s over the expansion of slavery and most of its leadership joined the Republican Party. The party’s name has been carried over several times, including the Modern Whig Party founded in 2008.
The Whig Party was a political faction primarily associated with the United Kingdom and the United States. Beginning in 1678, the Whig party arose in opposition to royalist absolutism, Catholicism, and British associations with France. Much of the writings of the radical wing of the group eventually influenced the early colonial revolutionaries. In 1833, in strong opposition to the growing power of the presidency, the Whig Party also became a force in American politics.
In the UK, the party was the main rival of the other political faction, the Tories. Although the organization began as a fairly minor association of aristocrats, it gained great power over the British political world after the American Revolution. He fought for the interests of the early industrial revolution and the religious freedoms of Protestants. Throughout the 19th century, the Whigs became synonymous with expanding the power of Parliament, establishing free trade outside the UK and social issues such as the abolition of slavery. Eventually, the party was incorporated into the Liberal Party with other free trade factions across the political spectrum and officially disbanded in 1868.
Referencing an early name of patriots during the American Revolution, the Whig Party of the United States was officially established in 1833. The political faction heavily opposed the actions of President Andrew Jackson’s Democratic Party, which the Whigs regarded as taking too much power for the executive. Prominent members included their leader Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor and a young Abraham Lincoln. The Whig Party took policy positions that advocated a strong legislative branch, modern industrial development, and protectionism in trade policy.
During his time in power in the United States, the Whigs were represented by four different presidents. William Henry Harrison was elected in 1840 but died 32 days in office. He was succeeded by John Tyler, who held the position until 1845. Zachary Taylor took office in 1849 and likewise died within 16 months, being replaced by Millard Fillmore.
The Whig party sharply fractured in the 1850s when the issue of the expansion of slavery divided the electoral college. Within just a year, the deaths of Henry Clay and Daniel Webster left the party with a power vacuum. During the 1852 presidential election, the Whigs nominated Winfield Scott who lost the vote by a substantial margin to Franklin Pierce of the Democratic Party. With the 1856 election, the party was split and most of its leadership, including Abraham Lincoln, joined the Republican Party. The remaining members regrouped for the 1860 campaign as the Constitutional Union Party, but were soon disbanded after a third-place finish in the presidential election.
While the Whigs in both the United Kingdom and the United States ceased to exist in the late 1800s, the party’s name was carried over several times. The Modern Whig Party was founded in 2008 by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Claiming a membership of approximately 25,000 to 30,000 by 2009, the party has begun fielding federal candidates in the state of Florida. The Florida Whig Party continues to expand with each election.
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