# So what is a Whig **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246 "2009-02-17T07:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/1 "2009-02-17T07:15:20Z")
The political party of some of our forefathers. What did they belive in and where does it fall on the [policital map](http://www.techybytes.com/userimages/user2181_1178518947.png) ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/2 "2009-02-17T07:27:12Z")
I’ve only read bits and pieces and I’m sure someone like Elendil’s Heir will be along with an informed reply but the [wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whig_Party_(United_States)) is worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/3 "2009-02-17T16:09:45Z")
From two weeks ago: [What were the biggest differences between the Whigs and Democrats?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=504500) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/4 "2009-02-17T16:38:02Z")
The original Whigs were the party opposing the Tories in England/Britain between 1660 and 1840, both being approximate dates. It was pretty much an alliance of merchants, Nonconformists, (social and political) reformers, and others opposed to the traditional squirearchy that was the bulwark of the Tory party. Trying to pigeonhole the two on a Left/Right scheme is missing the point of why the parties formed and remained stable, but in the most general terms the Whigs were to the left of the Tories. After the Reform Bill of 1832 and the Peelite episodes, the core of the Whigs became the Liberal Party while the Tories became the Conservatives. Meanwhile the American Whig party had formed around the ‘National Republicans’ supporting J.Q. Adams and Clay, and adopted the name. A final note: Liberia was run by a dominant political party called the True Whig Party virtually from its founding until the Doe coup of a few decades back. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/5 "2009-02-17T19:46:06Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I’ve only read bits and pieces and I’m sure someone like Elendil’s Heir will be along with an informed reply… Bless you, my Irish friend! I posted in the thread linked by **Freddy the Pig** , as it happens. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/6 "2009-02-17T23:22:29Z")
Note that the Whigs are basically, but not exactly, the same as the Federalists, and they developed into (kinda sorta not exactly) the Republican party. It’s just one of those weird things which sorta evolved over time. It’s a long story. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/7 "2009-02-17T23:29:05Z")
Hmmm. The [etymology](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Whig) is interesting. Like the word henchman, it’s horse related. And now I’ve got the word dittymology stuck in by head due to a misspelling while googling. I guess that would be the study of themes from one song to another to another. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-is-a-whig/486246/8 "2009-02-18T00:02:59Z")
I _like_ “dittymology”. There might even be “kittymology” too, perhaps for daft words invented for lolcats. “Citymology” for the way some places take their names from others. (Yes, looking at you, U.S., Canada, Oz, N.Z. 🙂 ) I suppose there might be “shittymology” to do with , ahem, sewage-related matters, but there I will stop. Oh, and the etymology of **Tory** is fun too, being also an outlaw type. 😃 (toraidh)