The conservatism in the 19th century is also referred to as monarchism. Monarchism came as a result of conservatives desiring stability through monarchial rule, which in their terms, implied less political disruptions. Conservatism in the 19th century was characterized by three main factors; aristocracy, monarchy, and the church (Bourke, 2018). They believed in political traditions, as well as hierarchy to govern the nation. Conservatives did not believe that all people were created equal and that others were born greater than others. The conservatives were mainly made up of the upper-class citizens of society. These citizens sought to maintain autocracy, i.e., their absolute power to rule. Modern conservatives are in more cases similar to the 19th-century liberals since they want less government intervention in their lives. They believe more in economic and social powers, giving less emphasis to the monarchy.
Liberalism held that each member of the society had inherent rights and that each of them deserved equal rights to work their way up the social ladder. They recognized that individuals were the same, only that their predisposing factors were not aligned. Liberals were more concerned with what limits a man could push himself in society despite their backgrounds. The goal of the liberals was attaining freedom (Weiler, 2016). A total personal, economic, social, and political freedom for all was advocated. The liberals were mainly made up of middle-class citizens who advocated for democracy. However, one significant difference between the liberals in the 19th century and the liberals today is that the liberals in the 19th century did not believe in giving power to women. The liberals may all have been for equality and freedom, but this did not apply to women. Not only were the women advantaged, but also the poor and the uneducated. Liberals believed that while every man had the freedom to become whatever he wanted to become in society, wealth and education were vital in supporting their dreams.
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References
Bourke, R. (2018). What is conservatism? History, ideology and party. European Journal of Political Theory , 17 (4), 449-475.
Weiler, P. (2016). The New Liberalism: Liberal Social Theory in Great Britain, 1889-1914 . Routledge.
