Origin of "Whig"

1901

Several reasons have been assigned to account for the word "Whig," universally known to all the English speaking people. By some the word is supposed to be a contraction of a longer one, "whiggamore," which in some parts of England and Scotland, especially Scotland, signifies a drover or herder.

It was in 1679 that the word first became common in the British isles, when the struggle was in progress between the peasantry and the aristocracy to have or not to have the bill passed by parliament to exclude the Duke of York from the line of succession. All who were opposed to placing the duke in the line of succession were derisively called "whiggamores," or "drovers," just as the city dude of today speakers of the "grangers," the grays," the "chin whiskers" and the hayseeders."

But Scotch tradition gives altogether a different reason for the existence of the word. It is this: During the early religious wars in Scotland the weakest of the factions used the words "We Hope In God" as a motto. The initials of these words were placed on their banners thus, "W. H. I. G.," and soon all the followers of that clan were given the title of "Whig," which was afterward attached as a party nickname.