Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
A master political schemer in Restoration England, he fought to exclude a Catholic king from the throne and helped create the first political party, the Whigs.
1621–1683 (age 62)·English politician and founder of the Whig party·Birthday: July 22
Biography
Anthony Ashley Cooper lived through England's most turbulent century, and his genius lay in navigating its shifting allegiances. Born into gentry, he fought first for the King, then for Parliament in the Civil War, becoming a figure of immense wealth and influence. After the monarchy's restoration, he served Charles II as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Lord Chancellor, but his true legacy was forged in opposition. Fearing a return to Catholic absolutism, Shaftesbury became the fiery and cunning leader of the movement to bar the King's Catholic brother, James, from succession. He mobilized public opinion through pamphlets and the first organized political networks, effectively founding the Whig party. His London home became a hub of plotting, and his sponsorship of the philosopher John Locke shaped liberal ideas of government and tolerance. Ultimately outmaneuvered by the King, he died in exile, but the constitutional principles he championed—parliamentary supremacy and Protestant succession—would triumph in the Glorious Revolution just years after his death.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1621
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1621Born
1626Started school
1634Became a teenager
1637Could drive
1639Could vote
1642Turned 21
1651Turned 30
1661Turned 40
1671Turned 50
1681Turned 60
1683Died at 62
Key Achievements
- Led the political movement known as the Exclusionists, which sought to prevent the Catholic James, Duke of York, from inheriting the throne.
- Is widely considered a founding figure of the Whig party, the first organized political party in England.
- Served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1672 to 1673 under King Charles II.
- Was the first major patron of philosopher John Locke, who served as his physician and secretary, and whose political thought was influenced by their association.
Did You Know?
He survived a famously botched liver operation in 1668; the silver tube inserted into him to drain an abscess remained in place for the rest of his life.
The famous 'Green Ribbon' club, which met at a London tavern, was a central meeting place for his political followers.
He was famously depicted as the evil Achitophel in John Dryden's satirical poem 'Absalom and Achitophel.'
He was imprisoned in the Tower of London on charges of treason in 1681 but was later released by a sympathetic grand jury.
“Let us be together, let us drink together, let us live together, let us die together; for we must not fall out now, when we are so near port.”
