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Who were the Whigs?

Whigs were members of political parties in Scotland, England, and the United States. The name is derived from whiggamor (meaning "cattle driver"), which was a derogatory term used in the seventeenth century to refer to Scottish Presbyterians (members of a Protestant Christian religious group) who opposed King Charles I (1600–1649) of England. Ruling from 1625 to 1649, Charles was removed from the throne in a civil war and was subsequently tried in court, convicted of treason, and beheaded. The British Whigs, who were mostly merchants and wealthy landowners, supported a strong Parliament (law-making body of Great Britain). They were opposed by the Tories, aristocrats who upheld the power of the king. For a short period during the eighteenth century, the Whigs dominated political life in England. After 1832 they became part of the Liberal Party.

At about the same time, the Whigs in the United States...

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