Ruling Britannia! How far did those in power shape the events of the 18th Century?

1. Ruling Britannia!How far did those in power shape the events of the 18th Century?

2. Expensive war – 1690s Monarch: King William III, husband of Queen Mary II. He ruled 1688-1702. He was very able, but not warm, not trusted, not sociable, and a foreigner. Ministers Rich and powerful nobles who advised the monarch. They owned a lot of land. They spent time at the King’s court. They sat in the House of Lords. Monarch: Queen Mary II, joint ruler with her husband from 1688, advised William when he was in England. Ruled when he was abroad. She died in 1694. Crown MinistersParliament

3. Action 1690s King William, advised by his ministers, granted a royal charter to set up the Bank of England in 1694 to lend the King’s government money. This new Bank of England was run by finance people not politicians and was therefore seen to be more trustworthy. This meant people were confident to lend the government money. A National Debt began for the first time. This financed the wars and the idea was that the National Debt would be reduced in peacetime. It was a success and raised £1.2 million in 12 days. This was a huge sum of money at the time and funded the rebuilding of the Royal Navy. The King and his ministers had solved their financial problems. They did not know it at the time, but they had set up a model for the future and the City of London began to become the world’s financial centre. This change gave Britain a strong financial system and meant that Britain could become rich and powerful in later years. Task: summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

4. Protestant Succession - 1701 Monarch: King William III, husband of Queen Mary II. He ruled 1688-1702. He was very able, but not warm, not trusted, not sociable, and a foreigner. Ministers Rich and powerful nobles who advised the monarch. They owned a lot of land. They spent time at the King’s court. They also sat in the House of Lords. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The Protestant MPs in the House of Commons were men elected by rich land-owning men. They wanted to make sure England was ruled so they could do well. Crown MinistersParliament

5. In 1701 William suggested that to keep the monarchyProtestant, Parliament should pass a law called the Act of Settlement. It would say that when Anne died the nearest Protestant heir would inherit. These were the heirs of a woman called Sophia of Hanover. When her son became King George I in 1714, there were 6 other people more closely related to the previous Queen, Anne. Yet, the Act of Settlement gave Parliament the power to decide the succession and they chose George. However, the Parliament in Westminster did not make laws for Scotland in 1701. The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh was not happy with the decision. However, William, his ministers and rich Protestant landowning supporters of William in Scotland were able to pass the Act of Union in 1707 to abolish the Scottish Parliament. The United Kingdom was created and, until 1999, Scotland was directly ruled from London. This was possible because enough rich Scottish people wanted a Protestant monarchy and a part of the profits from trade with the colonies. Scotland had tried to build a colony on its own and had failed. Parliament had grown in power since 1688. It met more often and monarchs always ruled together with it. Law agreed by discussion between the monarch, and Parliament (the Lords and the Commons) came to be the British way of ruling. Task: summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Action 1701 Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

6. Succession of King George - 1714 Monarch: King George I, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1714-1727. He spent one fifth of his reign back in Hanover and a Regency Council of ministers ruled in his absence. Ministers The new king, George I, appointed new Whig ministers. Ministers were at the King’s court. They also sat in the House of Lords. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The King’s Whig ministers sat there. Whig party MPs were in the majority in the Commons after the general election that had to be held when the new King took the throne. Crown MinistersParliament

7. The Whig ministers government were increasingly worried about rebellion. They persuaded the King to get Parliament to pass the Riot Act in 1715. It could be read to gatherings of more than 12 people if the authorities felt threatened by them. The Riot Act was also used as a tool by the government to arrest leading Tories and Jacobites. When the Jacobites did attempt to regain the throne in 1716 they were quickly crushed once they tried to move from their base in Scotland into England. To further calm the politics the Whig Parliament also passed the 1716 Septennial Act which changed the length of time between general elections from three to seven years. The main reason for this was to try and create a climate of political peace. King George I continued to face criticism for his constant absence and reliance on Whig ministers to run the country, but Britain started to enjoy relative religious peace as the Church of England continued to extend its dominance. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Action: 1715-1716 Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

8. Growing Divisions at Court - early 1720s Ministers The new king, George I, appointed new Whig ministers. Ministers were nobles at the King’s court. They also sat in the House of Lords. Monarch: King George I, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1714-1727. He spent one fifth of his reign back in Hanover and a Regency Council of ministers ruled in his absence. Minister: Robert Walpole A powerful Whig who used events at this time to become the leading minister. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The King’s Whig ministers sat there. Whig party MPs were in the majority in the Commons after the general election that had to be held when the new King took the throne. George, Prince of Wales: The King, his father, resented his popularity. The Prince was a focus for opposition to his father’s rule among nobles. Crown MinistersParliament

9. The political and economic crises presented Robert Walpole, a leading Whigminister, with the opportunity to consolidate his power and rise to the top. Walpole had always spoken out against the South Sea Company and took control of the financial mess created when the ‘South Sea bubble’ burst. His effective control during the crisis gave him a huge boost in popularity especially after he set out to find those responsible for the scandal. The government, with Walpole leading it, was able to stabilise and regain control. In 1723 he also dealt swiftly with the Atterbury Plot collecting evidence and punishing those who had been involved. In 1727 King George II ascended to the throne. He was the first Prince of Wales to become monarch after his father since 1625, a sign of more peaceful times and the reduced Jacobite threat. He kept on his father’s ministers and was given a very large personal allowance by Parliament. Walpole, with the support of the Queen, continued to control the country and was later to become Britain’s first Prime Minister. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Action: early 1720s Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

10. Crisis with Spain - later 1720s Minister: Robert Walpole A powerful Whig minister. He became the first Prime Minister. He was very skilled at managing the King (with the help of the Queen) and Parliament (both Lords and Commons). Queen Catherine: wife of George II. She persuaded him to have Walpole as his Prime Minister. Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. For the first part of his reign he listened to Walpole and other key ministers. Minister: Lord Townshend Whig minister and son-in-law of Walpole. Had a seat in the Lords and acted as the King’s Foreign Minister. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The King’s Prime Minster Walpole had a seat as an MP in the Commons. Minister: Duke of Newcastle Whig minister loyal to Walpole. Had a seat in the House of Lords. Crown MinistersParliament

11. In 1726, British ministers decided to send ships to the Spanish colony of Porto Bello in central America to stop Spanish treasure ships from taking treasure to Spain. However, Walpole ordered them not to attack the city, as he hoped to avoid war. They hoped this would persuade the Spanish to allow more trade. However, the idea was a disaster, mainly due to the tropical conditions which the British sailors were not used to. Around 4000 sailors died, mostly of tropical diseases. Meanwhile Spain decided to attack the British colony of Gibraltar, expecting the Austrians to arrive and provide them with help. The Austrians refused. This was because ministers had made a secret deal with Austria to prevent them getting involved and to unite instead against the French. In the Treaty of Seville, signed in 1729, Britain and Spain agreed to go back to how things were before. Townshend was unhappy about this and resigned, leaving Robert Walpole as the most important minister in the government: the ‘Prime’ Minister. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Action: later 1720s Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

12. Walpole’s Excise Crisis, riots and protests of the 1730s Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. By the 1730s, Walpole was his Prime Minister. Minister: Robert Walpole A powerful Whig minister. He became the first Prime Minister. He was very skilled at managing the King (with the help of the Queen) and Parliament (both Lords and Commons). Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The King’s Prime Minster Walpole had a seat as an MP in the Commons. Crown MinistersParliament

13. Action: 1730s Prime Minister Walpole decided to take the money the government needed as a tax on various goods being imported into the UK (this was called excise). This excise tax was supposed to be taken at the docks, but was often not fully paid. Walpole decided to take it inland at warehouses and shops instead. He started out by taxing chocolate, tea and coffee in 1724. From 1732 he taxed salt as well and this was very unpopular. In 1733, he decided to introduce an Excise Bill to Parliament which would give the excise collectors the power to search shops and warehouses and to take the tax by force. There was a furious reaction all over the country. Many people protested and wrote petitions to the government. The free press claimed the power of the excise collectors was against an English person’s political liberty and property. MPs began to criticise the Excise Bill and eventually Walpole was forced to withdraw it, rather than risk a humiliating defeat in Parliament. Despite this, King George II stood by Walpole and he continued as Prime Minister, though without the unchallenged power he had enjoyed before. Walpole also responded to the satirical criticism of him by passing the Licensing Act in 1737 which enabled government to control and censor its critics who could spread of ideas for rebellion. However, the Licensing Act was not strictly enforced. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

14. War from 1739 Minister: Robert Walpole A powerful Whig minister. He was the first Prime Minister. By the later 1730s he was being pushed by ambitious men in Parliament and other ministers. Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. In the later 1730s he argued with his son, Prince George, the Prince of Wales. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. The King’s Prime Minster Walpole had a seat as an MP in the Commons. Other ministers Other ministers and leading members of Parliament, were increasingly able to influence government policy in the later 1730s. Crown MinistersParliament

15. Action: by 1742 The, so-called, ‘War of Jenkins Ear’ against the Spanish was reluctantly agreed to by Prime Minister Walpole in 1739. He said: “They now ring the bells, they will soon wring their hands”. The start of the war went well for Britain and ‘Rule Britannia’ was sung for the first time ever after a short-lived victory. However, the war dragged on and Britain was bounced into a second war about who should rule Austria in 1740. King George II declared his homeland of Hanover neutral in the war. British people were shocked and astonished by this decision. Hanover was ruled by the same King and supposed to be a reliable ally. In the election of 1741 opponents of Walpole did very well. Support for Walpole in Parliament began to fade. When it was clear he could no longer get support from a majority of MPs in the Commons he had to go. Britain’s first Prime Minister became a Lord and moved out of the House of Commons. In 1742 Walpole resigned. “The war is yours” he told his replacement. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

16. After 1742 Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from boths sides of the political divide were increasingly able to influence government policy since the 1730s Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. In the 1740s he tried to reassert his power as monarch by influencing who would succeed Walpole Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons William Pulteney Whig politician helping to form the new government. Crown MinistersParliament

17. Action: after Walpole 1742-1743 Whilst the MPs squabbled over what to do following Walpole’s departure from office, the King used his power and chose the Earl of Wilmington to run the Treasury (finance ministry). Pulteney remained a close advisor to the King but joined Walpole in the House of Lords. Lord Carteret was a favourite of the King to take over as Prime Minister but for the second time in two years the King was forced to part with a favourite minister when the 1743 Treaty of Worms crisis led to Carteret’s resignation. The treaty had re-started war with France and, on the advice of Walpole, the King cooperated with Pelham to create a new government of Whigs and Tories working together with the nickname ‘Broad-Bottom’ Government. This period of government was very tense and many people did not work well together. For example, the King refused to allow Pitt to be in Cabinet and in the local areas there were arguments about, and between, Tories and Whigs in power. The King was using more power here despite the growing influence of important ministers such as the Pelham brothers, who became Prime Minister and Secretary of State. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

18. The Jacobite threat Charles Stuart ‘The Young Pretender or Bonnie prince Charlie’ grandson of James II and Stuart claimant to the throne Prince: William Duke of Cumberland, youngest son of King George and military commander Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from boths sides of the political divide were increasingly able to influence government policy since the 1730s Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. Henry Pelham and Thomas Pelham, Duke of Newcastle Brothers leading the Broad Bottom Government as Whig Prime Minister and Secretary of State. Crown MinistersParliament

19. Action: 1746 The government summoned the Duke of Cumberland (King George II’s son) from Flanders where he’d been successfully fighting the French. The Duke arrived with a highly trained, well disciplined army and caught up with Charles’ forces at Culloden Moor in Scotland. Charles’ Jacobite soldiers were freezing, starving, outnumbered, ill-equipped and small groups were deserting the army. Charles’ commander suggested that they should cross to the soft ground so that Cumberland’s cavalry would be useless. Charles ignored him. The fighting didn’t last much longer than 30 minutes due to the overwhelming power of the government’s guns. 1,200 Jacobites died in this time compared to only 76 government forces casualties. Prince Charles fled via the Isle of Skye in disguise as woman and returned to France and Cumberland was victorious and brutally put down the remaining Jacobite forces earning him the nickname ‘The Butcher’. The English Tories hadnot supported the Jacobite cause. This showed them that Whigs and Tories had got common interests and they began to co-operate again to make government work. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

20. Seven Years’ War 1756-63 Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide were increasingly able to influence government policy since the 1730s Monarch: King George II, Elector of Hanover. He ruled 1727-60. His eldest son died in 1751 and his health was ailing by the late 1750s. Monarch: King George III, grandson of George II, he became king aged 22 and he ruled 1760-1820 Thomas Pelham, Duke of Newcastle Prime Minister following his brother’s death in 1756.. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. William Pitt ‘The Elder’ Paymaster General at the Tresury since 1746 - a powerful position in government. Crown MinistersParliament

21. Action: Seven Years’ War 1756-63 The British government saw the war as defending British power and pride. However, minister Pitt, in charge of money to the military, was also interested in power in North America and India. The British government gave money to Frederick the Great of Prussia to fight the French on the European continent. The British navy fought the French at sea. The Seven Years’ War was also fought beyond Europe. For example, Britain gained land from France in what is now Canada. The British took Quebec in 1759 and the French were forced to retreat to Montreal followed by the British who took the city in 1760. This marked the official control of all of North America by the British government. While all this was happening, King George II finally died and the political situation at home dramatically changed when King George III ascended to the throne. Although he had once supported Pitt he had changed his mind and Pitt had to resign as a minister in 1761. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

22. Cook’s voyages 1768-75 Monarch: King George III, grandson of George II, he became king aged 22 and he ruled 1760-1820 Whig and Tory Ministers • Ministers and leading members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide were able to influence government policy. There were 5 Prime Minsters in this period: 4 Whig and 1 Tory. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. CrownMinistersParliament

23. Action: 1768-1775 • Cook and his crew left on the first voyage in 1768. Cook claimed some Pacific islands for the UK and sailed on to New Zealand. There they mapped the coast for six months before sailing westwards. In the spring of 1770 they became the first Europeans to set foot in what is now known as Australia. They were nearly shipwrecked on the Great Barrier Reef. Sworn to secrecy about what they had discovered, they arrived back to Britain in 1771. From 1772-75 Cook’s second voyage showed that there was no other large land mass in the unfrozen southern oceans and claimed more land for Britain. • King George III was pleased to give his permission for these further explorations and scientific experiments. Cook had successfully expanded the British Empire and contributed much to European knowledge of the Pacific. By the later 1780s the British government began to transport criminals to Australia to do hard work. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

24. Losing America 1776-83 Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide were able to influence government policy. Monarch: King George III, ruled 1760-1820 Prime Ministers Lord North (Tory) was PM for 12 years until 1782. There were then three Whig PMs from 1782-83. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. CrownMinistersParliament

25. Action: 1776-1783 When the British government went to war against the American colonists, ministers expected a quick victory. However, though British troops had better training and equipment, they were a long way from home and it was hard to keep them supplied. The American colonists were well led and fighting for their home. Also the French government sent troops to help the American colonists fight against the British troops. By 1778 it was clear that the British government was not going to win the War, at the same time, the American colonists could not force the British to leave completely. However, with more French support, Britain started to be threatened as a sea power. This was too high a price to pay. After defeat at the battle of Yorktown in 1781 the British government was forced to negotiate a peace at the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The new United States of America was recognised as independent from Britain. These are known as the US Revolutionary Wars, and the US War of Independence. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

26. Prison reform 1779 Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide were able to influence government policy. They had begun to work in Select Committees on specific topics that were of concern to the nation. Monarch: King George III, ruled 1760-1820 Prime Ministers Lord North (Tory) was PM for 12 years until 1782. Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. CrownMinistersParliament

27. Action: 1779 MPs on the Select Committee were so impressed with his work that Howard was called to the House of Commons and publicly thanked for his "humanity and zeal“ (care and commitment). Other people read Howard’s work and were shocked at his findings. His evidence led to an Act of Parliament (law), which aimed to improve conditions in prisons. The Penitentiary Act 1779 introduced a policy of state prisons for the first time. The prison system was to be healthy, with food, clean water and hygienic living conditions. It was also to be tough, with solitary confinement, hard labour and religious instruction. The purpose was not only to deter people from committing crimes, but also to reform those who were imprisoned. This changed the entire idea of the prison system in Britain. Prison was about rules and control, punishment and reform. No prisons were built as a direct result of the Act, but it began the change of the system to deal with criminals and Parliament taking national control of prisons. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?

28. Gordon Riots 1780 Whig and Tory Ministers Ministers and leading members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide were able to influence government policy. Monarch: King George III, ruled 1760-1820 Prime Ministers Lord North (Tory) was PM for 12 years (1770-1782). Parliament: The Lords (nobles) sat in the House of Lords. Whig and Tory MPs sat in the Commons. CrownMinistersParliament

29. Action: 1780 The main violence lasted from 2 June to 9 June 1780 and is known as the Gordon Riots. Lord George Gordon was a leading Protestant angry at the new freedoms for Roman Catholics. He was a charismatic speaker and he stirred up the mob with fear of Roman Catholicism and a return to the monarch ruling without Parliament. He suggested that Catholics in the military would, given a chance, join forces with their fellow Catholics in places such as France and attack Britain. On 2 June 1780 a huge crowd, estimated at 40,000 to 60,000 strong, assembled and marched on the Houses of Parliament. Peaceful protest soon led to widespread rioting and looting; the worst in the story of London so far. The embassies of Roman Catholic countries and the houses of rich Roman Catholics were attacked. Newgate and The Clink prisons were attacked and largely destroyed. Many of the prisoners were never recaptured, freed by the authority of "His Majesty, King Mob". On 7 June soldiers had to defend the Bank of England from attack. The army was given orders to fire and about 285 people were shot dead, with another 200 wounded. Around 450 of the rioters were arrested; about 20-30 were later tried and executed. Gordon was arrested and charged with high treason, but was found not guilty. Demands were made for a London police force. Task: Summarise the action in one sentence onto your chart. Crown Ministers Parliament Who made the decisions?