Tories

The Tories were a loosely organised political faction and later a political party, in the Parliaments of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. They first emerged during the 1679 Exclusion Crisis, when they opposed Whig efforts to exclude James, Duke of York from the succession on the grounds of his Catholicism. Despite their fervent opposition to state-sponsored Catholicism, Tories opposed his exclusion because of their belief that inheritance based on birth was the foundation of a stable society.

In the 18th century, the Tories' overarching ideology and stated objective was maintaining a strong established Church of England; in practice, this meant they opposed tolerance not only for Catholics (which at the time the Whigs also opposed) but also for dissenting Protestants (which the Whigs supported). Their religious politics were occasionally stronger than their support for monarchical principles, with some Tories opting to support the Exclusion Bill due to James' support for partial freedom of worship.