Britain: The Triumph of Parliament

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Section 4.20

• Britain The Triumph of Parliament

2
Questions to Consider

• Explain the nature of the Restoration in England.
  Of what significance was the legislation enacted
  by the Restoration Parliament?
• How did religious matters again bring Parliament
  and king into conflict? What policies of James II
  precipitated the Revolution of 1688?
• Summarize the legislation introduced after the
  Revolution of 1688?
• Of what constitutional significance for England
  was the Revolution of 1688? Why have writers in
  more recent times deglorified the revolution?
  Give arguments for and against this point of
  view?
• What were the consequences of these events for
  Scotland? Ireland?

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Terms to Know

• Charles II
• Dissenters
• Treaty of Dover
• declaration of indulgence
• Test Act
• Whigs and Tories
• trial of seven bishops
• Glorious Revolution
• William and Mary
• Battle of the Boyne

• Bill of Rights
• United Kingdom of Great Britain
• Act of Settlement of 1701
• Toleration Act
• penal code for Ireland

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The Restoration, 1660 1688 The Later Stuarts

• Along with the monarchy, the Anglican church and
  the Parliament were restored
• Charles II is wary of Parliament
• Parliament is more loyal to king to keep the
  peace
• Parliament cleans up property rights by
  abolishing feudal payments
• Rents are replaced with taxes that Parliament
  controls by placing taxes on themselves
• Payment of taxes gives Parliament control over
  England
• arranged to have the king paid from taxes
  (Parliamentary control)

5
The Restoration Continued

• Landowners became the justices of the peace
  squirearchy
• decided small lawsuits, punished misdemeanors,
  cared for roads
• Exclusion of the Dissenters
• Puritans are excluded from government
  participation
• forbidden to teach school, excluded from two
  corporations, gov. jobs, from having religious
  meetings, to sit in the HOC
• Commoners are excluded as well Act of Settlement
  of 1662 limited the movement of the poor
• each parish is responsible for its own poor (keep
  them immobile)

6
The Restoration Continued

• Re-Catholicization was a slow drifting tendency
  in much of Europe
• England remained staunchly anti-Catholic
• Charles II was Catholic at heart
• Secret treaty of Dover of 1670
• Charles agreed to help Louis against the Dutch
• Louis agreed to give Charles 3 million livres
• James the heir of Charles announced his
  conversion to Rome (Catholicism)
• Declaration of indulgence
• Charles II announced non-enforcement of laws
  against dissenters
• feared as a way to promote Catholicism

James II of England
7
The Restoration Continued

• Parliament passes the Test Act 1673
• All office holders had to take communion in the
  Church of England (1828)
• Movement to exclude James from the throne by law
  grows
• Exclusionists (known as Whigs) were mostly from
  Upper Aristocracy (great nobles)
• Kings supporters (Tories) Lower Aristocracy and
  gentry

8
The Revolution of 1688

• 1685 James II becomes king
• Suspends the Test Act and appoints Catholics to
  important positions
• The alienation created by James II moves Tories
  over to Whig side
• 1688 a son is born to James II and baptized
  Catholic
• Leading political figures abandon James II and
  offer the throne to his daughter Mary
  (Protestant)
• Mary is the wife of William III who is focused
  solely on the plight of the Dutch

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The Revolution of 1688

• William III invades England and James II flees
• 1689 a skirmish with James II in Ireland
  (Catholic) ends the dispute and James II flees to
  France
• Louis XIV refuses to recognize William III as
  king and supports James II

10
The Revolution of 1688 Continued

• 1689 Bill of Rights
• no law could be suspended by the king
• no taxes could be raised or army maintained
  without Parliaments consent
• no subject could be arrested without legal
  process
• 1701 Act of Settlement
• no Catholic could be king of England
• Toleration Act
• Allows Dissenters to practice their religion but
  not be in gov
• Existence of Catholic interests eventually was
  accepted ending wars over religion in England

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Irish Threat of Revolution

• 1707 Scotland unites with England
• Keeps Catholicism off the throne in Scotland
• Gives Scotland economic rights in England
• rights to the East India Company, English
  colonies, mercantilism, and Navigation Acts

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Irish Threat of Revolution

• England establishes a penal code over Ireland
  to keep it in check
• Catholic clergy was banned
• Catholics could not vote
• Catholic teachers could not teach
• Catholic parents could not send children to
  Catholic schools
• Catholics could not take a degree at Trinity
  College
• Catholic Irishmen could not purchase land
• Catholic Irishmen could not own a horse worth
  more than 5 pounds
• Irish exports are prohibited
• Irish imports must come from England
• Ireland was the most repressed population in
  Europe

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Continuation of Cromwellian Settlement
14
Coalition Against France

• England joins the coalition against France under
  Williams leadership
• England lends money to the Dutch
• Create the Bank of England
• Creates liquidity that the Continent cannot match
• British National Debt
• Merchants of London, Whig aristocrats, having
  lent money to gov had big reason to defend it

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Glorious Revolution

• Sum of events after 1688 became known as the
  Glorious Revolution
• Parliamentary government
• Rule of law
• Right of rebellion against tyranny (not in
  Ireland)
• Restrictions on the power of English kings
• Participation in government in England is limited
• no salaries
• serves the landed aristocracy
• 1710 Act requires large, landed incomes of HOC
  members
• This class in many ways was the only class fit to
  lead