James I and his contribution to the English Civil War

1. James I and his contribution to the English Civil War

2. James I: “The Wisest Fool in Christendom” King James had been ruling in Scotland as James VI. When Queen Elizabeth, of the House of Tudors, died heirless, James (a cousin) inherited the throne of England. When he took control of the English Throne, it effectively united the two kingdoms, though both Scotland and England continued to have their own parliament, legal courts, coinage, etc.

3. James I of England, James VI of Scotland When he took over the English throne, he had been ruling in Scotland for over 20 years Under him, the “Golden Age” of literature and drama continued, and he himself was an avid writer. He eventually married Anne of Denmark. Together they had four children, the last of which, Charles would become the next king.

4. James I: the Divine Right of Kings Primary Source: Kings are justly called Gods, for they exercise…a power similar to God’s power upon earth. For if you will consider the attributes of God, you will see how they agree in the person of a king. God has power to create or destroy, to make and unmake, at His pleasure; to give life or send death, to judge all, and not to be judged or accountable to any one: to raise low things high, and to make high things low at His pleasure. Kings have the same power. They make and unmake their subjects; they have the power of raising and casting down, of life and death; judge over all subjects, yet accountable to none but God. They have the power to exalt the low things and debase high things, and make of their subjects like men of chess.. therefore, kings have absolute power.

5. Divine Right of Kings In the True Law, he sets out the divine right of kings, explaining that for Biblical reasons kings are higher beings than other men, though “the highest bench is the sliddriest to sit upon” Absolute monarch: a king, queen, emperor, or empress with unlimited power. This attitude, that the king was above all others, other than God, and did not need the support of parliament was in violation of terms set out in the Magna Carta (1215).

6. James I and the Catholic Church Though he was protestant, at the start of his rule, he did away with fines for not attending Anglican service – but a little pressure from Parliament made him re-instate them. Within a few years, a group of Roman Catholics brew up a plot to explode the king and parliament. Guy Fox Day: November 5th

7. James I: life after the plot While he should have used the event as an opportunity to unite with parliament – he pushed them away He would call parliament for money – and then waste it. (He liked to party, and give money away to his Scottish drinking buddies) He called no parliaments between 1614 and 1621, and effectively gave up trying to rule England. James’ son, Charles I, took the English throne in 1625