Why is the Whig Theory of History so popular?

Question

The Whig Theory of History is the theory that history consists of perpetual progress to the present and that all events were inevitable. Some examples of this theory in American History include the assumption that the Articles of Confederation were flawed (they were only flawed to those who wanted a national government), that secession is illegal (because of Abe Lincoln's conquest of the South after it seceded), or that the rise of big government was inevitable (arguably, there wouldn't have been a Great Depression if we had stayed on the Gold Standard and it is definitely possible that laissez-faire could have been the answer instead of socialism or corporatism). However, this flawed Whig Theory of History persists.

Why do historians often fall into the trap of assuming that something is right merely because it happened? Why does the Whig Theory of History persist?

Answer 1

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I think your description is a travesty of the Whig theory of history. The real Whig theory of history (solely about England in the 17th-18th centuries) is persistent because it corresponds closely to reality.
If you want to know what it is, read Macaulay and thank me for your enjoyment.

Answer 2

Whig historiography perceives the past as a teleological progression toward the present. In general, Whig historians look for and favour the rise of constitutional government, personal freedoms and scientific progress in any historical period. The term is often used pejoratively to denote any historian that adopts such positions, but it also connotes a specific set of British historians who embodied Whig ideals. Its antithesis can be seen in certain kinds of cultural pessimism.
:)))