The Tories began as a loosely organized political faction in the parliaments of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain, and later the United Kingdom. They first appeared during the Exclusion Crisis of 1679, when they opposed Whig efforts to prevent James, Duke of York, from inheriting the throne because he was Catholic. Although the Tories strongly opposed Catholic influence in the state, they also believed that hereditary succession was essential to social stability.
During the eighteenth century, the Tories became closely associated with defending the established Church of England. They opposed religious tolerance not only for Catholics, but also for Protestant dissenters. Their loyalty to the Church was sometimes even stronger than their loyalty to monarchy, especially when James II supported greater freedom of worship.
After George I became king in 1714, the Tories were pushed out of government. By the early 1760s, they had largely disappeared as an organized political force, though the name continued to be used. About twenty years later, a new Tory movement emerged. This newer Tory group, connected with leaders such as William Pitt the Younger and Lord Liverpool, opposed broad expansions of voting rights and supported strong measures against protest movements, especially after the French Revolution raised fears of upheaval in Britain.
The Whigs gained control of Parliament in the 1831 election, which focused heavily on electoral reform. The Reform Act of 1832 weakened Tory power by removing many rotten boroughs that had supported them. Under Robert Peel, the Tories began transforming into the modern Conservative Party. Peel’s Tamworth Manifesto helped define a new conservative philosophy: reform what must be corrected, but preserve what is valuable. However, Peel’s repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 split the party. The faction led by the Earl of Derby and Benjamin Disraeli eventually became the modern Conservative Party, whose members are still often called Tories.
The name “Tory” originally began as an insult. It came from an Irish word meaning “outlaw” or “robber.” During the Exclusion Crisis, supporters of excluding James from the throne were called Whigs, while those who opposed exclusion were called Tories. Over time, these insults became permanent political labels.
The early Tory tradition grew out of the English Civil War. Its roots were tied to the Cavaliers, who supported King Charles I, and to those who believed Parliament had gone too far in challenging royal authority and weakening the Church of England. After Charles I was executed and England experienced military rule under Oliver Cromwell, the restoration of Charles II brought monarchy and the established Church back into power. However, Parliament also remained central to government, and no later British monarch ruled without it.
During Charles II’s reign, Whigs pushed for more parliamentary power and greater tolerance for Protestant dissenters. They also feared Catholic influence, especially after James, Duke of York, converted to Catholicism. The Tories defended hereditary succession and opposed Parliament’s attempt to choose a different heir. They believed that allowing Parliament to decide the monarch would make the Crown dependent on Parliament.
The Tories won the immediate struggle over the Exclusion Bill, and James II became king. But James’s attempts to promote religious toleration, especially for Catholics, alienated many Tories who cared deeply about the Church of England. Some Tories therefore supported the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which replaced James with William and Mary. This outcome preserved monarchy and the Church, but it also placed the monarchy under stronger parliamentary authority, weakening original Tory principles.
Under William III and Queen Anne, the Tories remained an important political force. They competed fiercely with the Whigs, especially over war, religion, and royal authority. Queen Anne personally leaned Tory, but she often balanced Tory and Whig ministers. During the War of the Spanish Succession, many Tories opposed continued involvement in the war. In 1710, Tory power rose again after public reaction against the Whig prosecution of Henry Sacheverell. The Tory ministry that followed helped negotiate the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, ending Britain’s role in the war.
When Queen Anne died in 1714, George I of Hanover became king. The new king distrusted the Tories and brought Whigs into power. The Tories were removed from offices in the army, navy, church, law, and government. This exclusion lasted for decades and pushed many Tories toward Jacobitism, the movement that supported restoring the Stuart line to the throne.
Some Tories became involved in Jacobite plots and uprisings, especially in 1715 and 1745. However, historians disagree about how deeply Jacobite most Tories truly were. Some evidence suggests many Tory leaders were sympathetic to the Stuarts, while other historians argue that most Tories remained loyal to the Hanoverian monarchy in practice. Because much evidence was destroyed, the question remains debated.
By the mid-eighteenth century, the old Tory party had weakened badly. It lost leadership, influence, and organization. By around 1760, it had effectively ceased to exist as a coherent party. Political life became dominated by Whig factions and various parliamentary groups rather than by the old Whig-Tory divide.
The term “Tory” later came back into use for supporters of William Pitt the Younger, though Pitt himself rejected the label and considered himself an independent Whig. After the American and French Revolutions, “Tory” increasingly described those who opposed radical reform and defended established institutions. This newer Tory tradition was different from the older one. It was more focused on order, empire, national security, and resistance to revolutionary change.
After 1815, the Tories were often associated with suppressing popular unrest. However, under Robert Peel, the party began to modernize. Peel’s approach accepted limited reform while defending stability, law, and tradition. This shift helped create the Conservative Party.
The split over the Corn Laws in 1846 divided Peel’s supporters from protectionist Conservatives. Eventually, Peelites joined with Whigs and Radicals to form the Liberal Party. The remaining Tories, led by Derby and Disraeli, adopted the Conservative name officially. Even so, the word “Tory” survived and remains a common nickname for members of the Conservative Party today.
