England in the 17th Century – Part II

This presentation will probably involve audience discussion, which will create action items. Use PowerPoint to keep track of these action items during your presentation • In Slide Show, click on the right mouse button • Select “Meeting Minder” • Select the “Action Items” tab • Type in action items as they come up • Click OK to dismiss this box This will automatically create an Action Item slide at the end of your presentation with your points entered. England in the 17th Century – Part II Establishing a Constitutional Monarchy: From the Stuarts to the Hanoverians & Robert Walpole

From Absolutism to Constitutionalism And how does England do it??? • ongoing opposition between kings and Parliament • bloody civil war • execution of a king • military dictatorship • son of executed king returned to throne • bloodless revolution, • finally constitutional monarchy! The Triumph of Parliament!!!!

The Restoration of the Stuarts • Charles II 1660-1685 • Fought for his father during the Civil War • Lived in exile in Holland and France • Attempted failed revolution in 1651 • Invited to return in 1660: crowned on his birthday, 30 May 1660

Division of Power King could: Parliament could: impeach minister could make laws control of state finances • choose his own ministers • decide foreign policy • call Parliament • veto Parliament’s laws • dismiss Parliament

Religious Issues & Charles II • CII = Moderate Religious Toleration • BUT Puritans were punished • Parliament = Anglican Church & Book of Common Prayer ONLY • Clarendon Code, 1661 – all clergyman MUST swear an oath to Anglicanism • Non-Anglicans = NO PUBLIC worship • Anglicans worried Charles II has “Catholic tendencies”

Religious Issues = Political Change • Treaty of Dover - Secret agreement with France (Louis XIV), 1670 • Charles would receive 200,000 pounds annually from France in return for helping Catholics, fighting the Dutch, and pledging to convert to Catholicism • Declaration of Indulgence, 1672 • Extends more religious toleration to the Puritans and Catholics (remember many members of CII’s family are Catholic) • Parliament responds w/ Test Act 1672 • Required all officials to take communion in the Anglican Church and swear an oath against Catholicism • Parliament splits into two parties • Whigs (suspicious of king, the French & Catholics): primarily noblemen, but also merchant class, middle class • Tories (supporters of king): lesser aristocracy & gentry, often poorer classes as well

1685: the beginning of the end of the Stuarts • Charles II had no legitimate children • James II, Charles’ younger brother was in line for the throne • Parliament and Anglicans were fearful • James II was openly Catholic BUT his heirs at the time were two Protestant daughters: Mary and Anne • Would he bring back Catholicism?

James II, 1685 – 1688 • Tried to repeal the Test Act • Appointed Roman Catholics and dissenteres to positions in the army, universities, & government

June 1688, James’ wife gave birth to a son – baptized him Catholic Members of Parliament and English society have a solution Offer the throne to James’ Protestant daughter Mary and her husband, William III of Orange William and Mary Arrive in November 1688 James II fled to France in December Husband and wife were crowned in April 1689 Glorious Revolution, 1688

William and Mary • William and Mary ruled with tolerance • They led jointly between 1689 – 1694 • Mary died of smallpox in 1694 • William ruled alone from 1694-1702 Section 1 ends here

Bill of Rights, 1689 • contractual relationship btw. king & people • enacted by Parliament it states: • no law may be suspended by king • no taxes may be levied or army maintained w/o consent of Parliament • no subject could be arrested & detained w/o legal process

Additional Acts • Toleration Act, 1689: religious toleration (except for Unitarians and Catholics) BUT Test Act still holds for all officeholders • 1701 • Act of Settlement – no Catholic would ever be allowed to inherit the English throne • Royal judges given life tenure – attempt to create a stronger more independent judiciary that would uphold the rule of law • 1707 Act of Union: • United Kingdom of Great Britain: England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

Results of Glorious Revolution • divine-right of kings no longer valid • freely elected Parliament • increased strength of Parliament • foundation laid for constitutional monarchy • end of religious “persecution” in England – not all religions have the same rights

2 Responses to Revolution • Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) • Leviathan, 1651 – supports idea of absolute rule BECAUSE • humans = animalistic, “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short” THEREFORE • the “commonwealth” must rely on a sovereign ruler and may not rebel • Let’s look at the frontispiece – What do you see?

2 Responses to Revolution • John Locke (1632-1704) • Two Treatises of Government - mutual agreement btw. government and governed • Gov’t. protects inalienable natural rights (life, liberty, property) of individuals • Individuals act reasonably toward gov’t BUT • if gov’t. breaks agreement, people should rebel • Who would make up the government? • The landed aristocracy

The Last Stuart • Anne, Queen 1702-1714 • Although she was born 19 children none of them survived SO • It was determined that Sophia of Hanover and her heirs would be the successors to the English throne • Sophia was the granddaughter of James I

The Hanoverians • George I, 1714-1727 • came to power at the end of the War of Spanish Succession • Treaty of Utrecht granted • legitimacy to Hanoverian right to rule • new territories: Gibraltar, Hudson’s Bay, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland • the right of asiento(English merchants now allowed to ship African slaves into Spanish New World territories) • limited trade rights w/ Spanish colonies

Triumph of the Whigs • Sir Robert Walpole, 1st English Prime Minister, 1721-1742 • refused to be ennobled – Why? • prized civil decorum in politics – Why?

Rise of English Dominance • See UEQs #9 and create list here:

England in the 17th Century – Part II