Absolutism in England (1603-1688)

1. Absolutism in England (1603-1688)

2. James I (Stuart) (1603-1625) • Complete believer in the divine right monarchy • No use for Parliament and has absolute power • Millenary Petition - petition given to James as soon as he reached the capital signed by 1,000 churchmen. • No popery and no bishops • Gunpowder Plot - plot by Catholics to assassinate king and Parliament whose discovery raised a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment in England.

3. Foreign Policy under James I: • Stayed out of Thirty Years’ War; Protestants were unhappy.. • Tried to make peace with Spain; offered his son, Charles I, to marry a Spanish princess.

4. Charles I (1625-1649)

5. Problems with Parliament • Charles appeared to be sympathetic to Catholicism; married Henrietta-Marie of France.. • The Right to Petition (1628) • Due Process of Law • No taxation w/o Parliament’s consent • Charles imposed the ship tax; (all trade goods that were on British ships) everyone was taxed…. • Tried to impose the Anglican Prayer Book on Scotland. • Charles needed money to put down a Scottish rebellion; called Parliament for money (1640)

6. Road to Civil War • Charles I summoned Parliament to raise taxes.. (on a couple of conditions) • Executing the King’s ministers; Laud and Strafford. • Abolishing the Courts of High Commission and Star Chamber. • Taxes can’t be levied without Parliament. • Parliament can’t be dissolved. • Parliament has to be called every 3 years (Triennial Act)

7. Cavaliers Anglicans and Catholics Rural squires: Land owners Nobility The North and Midlands Roundheads Mostly Middle-class From towns From Southeastern England Many were Puritans The English Civil War Watch “Cromwell”

8. The New Model Army • Issues of the Civil War • Absolutism vs. Constitutionalism • Rule of Law vs. Rule of Man • Oliver Cromwell and Sir Thomas Fairfax were in charge of the New Model Army.

9. England under a dictatorship • Charles was put on trial for murder and treason and beheaded on Jan. 30, 1649. • The army ruled Parliament “Rump Parliament” • England became a Common Wealth (monarchy abolished) • Parliament becomes corrupt internally..

10. Rule under Cromwell • Ruled as Lord Protector of The Common Wealth • Religious toleration for all (except Catholics) • Closed theaters, pubs, banned cards, forbid music and dance. • Issued the Navigation Act (all British goods must be on British ships)

11. The Restoration (monarchy restored) • 1660 Charles II returns to England (1660-1685) • Brings fashion, and French culture back from France • Parliament reaffirms Petition of Right • Adds Test Act (1673) –No Catholics shall hold office in Parliament • Charles agrees to re-Catholicize England in secret with Louis XIV

12. James II (1685-1688) • Openly admitted that his first task was to convert England back to Catholicism (moron) • Conversion methods • Appointed many Catholic leaders to high army positions, judgeships, and local gov’t. (violation of Test Act) • James issued a declaration of indulgence granting religious freedom to all.

13. Signals of another Revolution Two events: • James imprisoned bishops because they would not read the declaration. • James’ 2nd wife gave birth to a son; fear of Catholic dynasty.

14. The Glorious Revolution (1688) • James’ daughter, Mary, (protestant) was asked to take the throne of England… • Her husband, William of Orange, accepted and marched an army into London with open arms…(some son-in-law!) • James and his family fled to France w/o anyone getting hurt! (Very Glorious!!)

15. Terms and Conditions • Act of Toleration: Granted religious freedom (except Catholics, Jews, and Unitarians. • Sign the Bill of Rights: • Triennial Act reinforced • No standing army in peacetime (learned lesson from Cromwell) • Laws made by Parliament and could not be rejected by monarchy • Established Parliament as supreme power; Constitutional Monarchy!

16. The Stuart Family Tree

17. The Dutch Republic • 7 provinces won their independence from Spain in the Treaty of Westphalia (Republic of United Provinces of the Netherlands) • 17th century was “Golden Age of the Netherlands” • Science, art, and literature flourished. • Practiced religious toleration as long they did it in private. • Persecuted Jews, Catholics, and Protestants sought refuge and economic prosperity followed. • Fishing Industry and Trade were the center of the economy (herring) in Amsterdam

19. The Dutch Prosper • The Dutch East India Company (1602); joint-stock company allowed investors to pool their money and gain returns on trade. • Trade and commerce allowed the Dutch to have the highest standard of living in Europe by: • Building granaries (store food in case of bad season) • High salaries for workers (even women) • Very few riots (peaceful times internally) • Plenty of work

20. The Decline of the Dutch • War with England and France in the 1670’s hurt economy • The War of Spanish Succession (Grand Alliance) • William III of England (a.k.a. William of Orange) wages war on Louis XIV. • Drains Dutch labor, and financial resources; start of economic decline