Tories facts for kids

The Tories were one of the two political parties which existed in Britain from the 17th to the early 19th centuries. They were the opponents of the Whigs, which were for a long time the ruling party.

During that period the country was called (in sequence) the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Tories were originally (1678 to about 1770) the supporters of the Catholic kings (Charles I and II, James I and II), limiting the power of UK Parliament and supporting freedoms for Catholics. Later, (1780 to 1830) they became the New Tory Party, and were again a successful party able to hold government.

The most famous leaders of the New Tory Party were William Pitt the Younger, and Robert Peel the industrialist. Benjamin Disraeli built the modern Conservative Party out of the remains of the New Tory Party.

Images for kids

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  Royalist supporters, such as the Cavaliers, were referred to as tories during the Interregnum and Restoration period in Great Britain.

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  Loyalist refugees on their way to the Canadas during the American Revolution. 1901 illustration by Howard Pyle. The loyalists helped establish the base of support for political cliques in the Canadas, locally referred to as Tories.

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  Stephen Harper, 22nd Prime Minister of Canada and former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. The Party is colloquially called the Tories in Canada.

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  Lord Belasyse was the second Tory to lead a Ministry in Great Britain.