The House of Stuart: Charles II, James II, a Glorious Revolution, and William and Mary

Summary

This lecture delves into the Stuart Dynasty's second part, highlighting Charles I's conflict with Parliament leading to his execution, and the subsequent rule of Oliver Cromwell. The Restoration brought Charles II, who balanced charm with political acumen, restoring theaters and religious tolerance. His reign included the Cavalier Parliament, the Act of Uniformity, and the Habeas Corpus Act. James II's Catholic favoritism sparked the Glorious Revolution, leading to William and Mary's rule and the English Bill of Rights, establishing a limited monarchy and civil liberties. The lecture concludes with the rise of Sir Robert Walpole, who shaped England into a world power with religious and political liberty.

Takeaways

• 👑 The Stuart dynasty experienced a tumultuous relationship with Parliament, leading to the execution of Charles I and the rise of Oliver Cromwell.
• 🎭 Charles II, unlike his father, was politically savvy, restoring theaters, pubs, and sporting events, and re-establishing Christmas to gain public favor.
• 🕊️ Charles II favored religious toleration but continued the Stuart tradition of not working closely with Parliament.
• 🏛️ The Cavalier Parliament was formed by Charles II, filled with royalists, and the authority of the Church of England was restored.
• 📜 The Act of Uniformity and the Test Act were passed to enforce Anglican conformity and exclude non-conformists from certain roles.
• 🏛️ The Habeas Corpus Act of 1678 allowed unjustly imprisoned persons to challenge their detention legally.
• 👑 James II, a Catholic convert, alienated political parties and attempted to introduce Catholicism into high command, leading to his overthrow.
• 👫 The Glorious Revolution of 1688 saw the joint rule of William of Orange and Mary, who were invited by Whig and Tory leaders dissatisfied with James II.
• 📜 The English Bill of Rights established key civil liberties and limitations on the monarchy, serving as a model for the United States Bill of Rights.
• 🏰 The Act of Union in 1707 united England and Scotland as the Kingdom of Great Britain, with Queen Anne being the last of the Stuart dynasty.
• 🚀 Sir Robert Walpole's dominance in politics from 1721 to 1742 marked the rise of the prime ministerial role and contributed to Britain's growth as a world power.

Q & A

What was the main issue between the Stuart dynasty and the English Parliament?

The main issue was the Stuart dynasty's lack of cooperation with the Parliament, which led to conflicts over power and authority, culminating in Charles I's execution.

Why was Oliver Cromwell's reign considered unbearable by many in England?

Oliver Cromwell's reign was seen as unbearable due to his strict Puritan rule, which closed theaters, pubs, and sporting events, and was generally oppressive.

What was one of the first actions taken by Charles II after his restoration?

Charles II restored theaters, reopened pubs, and sporting events, and re-established the celebration of Christmas, showing a contrast to the Cromwell years.

How did Charles II's approach to religious tolerance differ from his father's?

Unlike his father, Charles II favored religious toleration, trying to act more like a politique, and attempted to avoid the mistakes that led to his father's downfall.

What was the significance of the Cavalier Parliament formed by Charles II in 1661?

The Cavalier Parliament was significant as it was filled with royalists, showing Charles II's preference for supporters of the monarchy and his attempt to consolidate power.

What was the Act of Uniformity of 1662, and what did it entail?

The Act of Uniformity required all clergy and church officials to conform to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, effectively forbidding non-conformists or dissenters from public worship, teaching, or attending universities in England.

What was the Habeas Corpus Act of 1678, and why was it important?

The Habeas Corpus Act of 1678 was important as it allowed any unjustly imprisoned person to obtain a writ of habeas corpus, compelling the government to explain why they had lost their liberty and freedom.

Why was James II's reign seen as a catalyst for the Glorious Revolution of 1688?

James II's reign was a catalyst for the Glorious Revolution because he alienated political parties by introducing Catholics into high command, camping a standing army outside London, and attempting to suspend or dispense acts of Parliament without consent.

What were the main provisions of the English Bill of Rights 1689?

The main provisions included the king not being able to suspend laws or disband Parliament, no interference with justice, no taxation or standing army without Parliament's consent, freedom of speech in Parliament, regular sessions of Parliament, and the right to bail, petition, and freedom from excessive fines and cruel punishment.

How did the Act of Union in 1707 change the political landscape of Britain?

The Act of Union in 1707 united England and Scotland as a single state, creating the Kingdom of Great Britain and leading to the term 'United Kingdom' being used to describe the collective entity, which eventually included Ireland.

Why was Sir Robert Walpole significant in the early 18th century England?

Sir Robert Walpole was significant as he dominated English politics from 1721 to 1742, promoting peace, spreading trade, and building up the military, particularly the navy, making Great Britain a world power and a place of religious and political liberty.

Outlines

00:00

👑 The Stuart Dynasty and Charles II's Reign

This paragraph delves into the second part of the Stuart dynasty in England, focusing on Charles II's reign following Oliver Cromwell's rule. Unlike his father, Charles II was politically adept, restoring theaters, pubs, and sporting events, and re-establishing Christmas. He favored religious tolerance but maintained the Anglican Church's authority. The Act of Uniformity was passed, restricting non-conformists' religious freedom. Charles II's policies, including the Test Act and the Habeas Corpus Act, shaped England's political and religious landscape, but his lack of a legitimate heir led to James II's ascension, setting the stage for future conflicts.

05:01

🏰 The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights

The second paragraph discusses the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which arose from the dissatisfaction with James II's Catholic favoritism and autocratic rule. Whig and Tory leaders invited James II's daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange to rule England jointly. The English Bill of Rights that followed established key principles, including the prohibition of the king's ability to suspend laws or levy taxes without parliament's consent, the right to free speech in parliament, and religious freedom for Protestants. The Bill also mandated the monarch to be a Protestant and introduced the Toleration Act of 1689, which expanded religious liberties, albeit not fully for Catholics.

10:03

🛳️ The Rise of Sir Robert Walpole and the United Kingdom

The final paragraph outlines the political landscape of England in the early 18th century, highlighting the rise of Sir Robert Walpole, who became a dominant figure in politics from 1721 to 1742. Walpole promoted peace and expanded trade, contributing to Britain's naval and military strength. His policies facilitated England's emergence as a global power. The paragraph also touches on the succession issues with the House of Stuart, leading to the Hanoverian dynasty's rise with George I. The Acts of Union in 1707 and the term 'United Kingdom' introduced by Queen Anne signify the unification of England, Scotland, and later Ireland under one crown, setting the stage for the modern United Kingdom.

Keywords

💡Absolutism

Absolutism refers to a form of government where the ruler holds supreme and unrestricted power, unbound by a constitution or laws. In the context of the video, it discusses the age of absolutism, highlighting the Stuart dynasty's struggle with parliamentary power and the eventual establishment of a limited monarchy in England.

💡Stuart Dynasty

The Stuart Dynasty was the royal house that ruled England, Scotland, and later Great Britain from the early 17th century to the early 18th century. The video focuses on the second part of the dynasty, detailing the reigns of Charles I, Charles II, James II, and the transition to the House of Hanover.

💡Cavalier Parliament

The Cavalier Parliament was a term used to describe the English Parliament during the Restoration period under Charles II, which was known for its royalist sympathies. The script mentions Charles forming this parliament, which was filled with royalists and disbanded the Puritan army.

💡Act of Uniformity

The Act of Uniformity was a law passed in 1662 that required all clergy and church officials in England to conform to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. It played a significant role in the script by illustrating Charles II's efforts to re-establish the authority of the Church of England and suppress non-conformist religious practices.

💡Habeas Corpus Act

The Habeas Corpus Act of 1678 was a significant piece of legislation that protected individuals from arbitrary imprisonment by requiring the government to justify detentions. The video script describes this act as a key development in the protection of civil liberties in England.

💡Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution refers to the events of 1688 in which James II was overthrown and replaced by William of Orange and Mary, his daughter. The video script highlights this as a pivotal moment that led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and the English Bill of Rights.

💡English Bill of Rights

The English Bill of Rights was a foundational document enacted in 1689 that set out certain rights of Parliament and the limits of the monarchy's power. The script describes it as addressing major issues between the king and Parliament and serving as a model for the United States Bill of Rights.

💡Toleration Act of 1689

The Toleration Act of 1689 allowed for religious freedom for Protestant dissenters in England, although it did not extend to Catholics. The video script mentions this act as part of the broader movement towards religious tolerance during the period.

💡United Kingdom

The term 'United Kingdom' was first used by Queen Anne to signify the political union of England and Scotland under one government. The script discusses the Act of Union in 1707 and the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain, which contributed to the concept of the United Kingdom.

💡Sir Robert Walpole

Sir Robert Walpole was a prominent British statesman who is often regarded as the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. The script describes his dominance in English politics, his promotion of peace, and his contributions to making Britain a world power through naval and military expansion.

Highlights

Charles I's conflict with Parliament led to his execution.

Oliver Cromwell's reign was intolerable, leading to the Restoration of Charles II.

Charles II was politically savvy and restored theaters, pubs, and sporting events.

Charles II favored religious toleration but had Catholic sympathies.

The Cavalier Parliament was formed by Charles II, filled with royalists.

The Act of Uniformity required conformity to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

The Test Act excluded non-Anglicans from civilian and military positions.

Charles II passed the Habeas Corpus Act, allowing unjustly imprisoned persons to seek release.

James II, a Catholic convert, alienated political parties in England.

James II introduced Catholics into high command and camped an army outside London.

The Declaration of Indulgence extended religious tolerance without Parliament's support.

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 saw the joint offering of the throne to Mary and William of Orange.

The English Bill of Rights settled issues between the king and Parliament and influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights.

The English Bill of Rights established provisions for the king's limitations and civil liberties.

Queen Anne was the last of the House of Stuart and used the term 'United Kingdom'.

The Act of Union in 1707 united England and Scotland as the Kingdom of Great Britain.

George I of the House of Hanover succeeded Queen Anne due to lack of heirs.

Sir Robert Walpole dominated English politics, promoting peace and expanding trade and military power.

Transcripts

welcome to the continuation of our

lecture series on the age of

absolutism today we continue on with our

second

part of the stuart dynasty in england

here

on learning the social sciences

the steward showed england that they

were not ones to work well with

parliament

so much so that charles the first lost

his head

over the arguments however the reign of

oliver cromwell proved to be

unbearable for many within england and

the minute he passed away they called

for the restoration

or the return of king charles ii

and the house of stuart now charles ii

is the son of king charles the first

however unlike his father he had charm

poise

and he was politically savvy one of the

first things he did was restore the

theaters and to reopen the pubs

and the sporting events and venues that

were closed under the cromwell years

and yes he re-established christmas he

favored religious

toleration trying to act more like

apolitique

however he does have catholic sympathies

he realized that he could not repeat the

mistakes his father had made

and had to kind of walk the line yet

he still continues on that steward

tradition of not

really working that often with

parliament or calling them

in to be if you know he doesn't need to

so in 1661 uh charles formed what was

known as the cavalier parliament

filled with royalists he disbanded the

puritan army that

cromwell had created but he did pardon

most puritan rebels

so he is somebody that kind of let

bygones be

bygones he also restored the authority

of the anglican church or the church of

england in 1662 he also passed the act

of uniformity

all clergy and church officials had to

conform

to the anglican book of common prayer

it forbade non-conformists also known as

dissenters

to worship publicly to teach their faith

or to attend

universities within england this is

going to cause some people to literally

jump ship and leave the country

predominantly for areas

like the americas as you all know we are

going to be having puritans

and pilgrims show up in the

massachusetts colony

further acts that charles ii passed

include the test act which parliament

excluded all but anglicans from civilian

and military positions

and in 1678 he passed the habeas corpus

act

which just basically said any unjustly

imprisoned persons

could obtain a writ of habeas corpus

compelling the government to then

explain

why they had lost their liberty and

freedom now when charles ii passed away

he did not have a legitimate

heir to the throne note that i said

legitimate charles was kind of known for

being a party monarch and for having

plenty of mistresses

however to get a seat on the english

throne

you have to be the child of the king and

the queen so ian comes in

james ii the brother of charles

ii now he was a convert to catholicism

because remember

their mother was a catholic and he is

also somebody that i guess

takes after dad's side of the family

he is somebody who really is not up for

a compromise

and he goes and quickly alienates the

tories and well every political party

actually within

england he just kind of ticks them all

off and

what he is going to accomplish is a very

quick

moving revolution against him how in the

world does that happen

well he introduced catholics to the high

command of both the army and the navy

here we go with conspiracy theories once

again he camped a standing army a few

miles outside of london oh no no no you

do not do that

the minute you put an army right outside

your capital city everybody is going to

be

fearful of you and that army and so

they are probably going to look for new

leadership but you are going to see

this strategy used time and time again

in history of having one's army

come and get positioned right outside

the capitol he surrounded himself with

catholic advisers

and he attacked anglican control of

universities he claimed the power to

suspend

or to even dispense the acts of

parliament

and in 1687 he passed the declaration of

liberty of conscience which basically

said he extended religious tolerance

toleration

without parliament's approval or support

which for him

was mainly for the catholics

so that brings in then the glorious

revolution of 1688

whig and tory leaders now both kind of

ticked off with their monarch

offered the throne jointly to james the

second daughter

mary who is over in the netherlands

because her husband

is william of orange with that both of

them

actually agree to come over and

rule england sorry dad i guess i just

want the throne

now this is going to be a little bit of

a sticky situation i guess for you know

future family gatherings if they ever

happen

but william of orange is somebody who

seems to be well loved within

england he was victorious against louis

xiv and he was seen as a champion of the

protestant cause

and so having william of orange and mary

come in

somebody legitimate in the bloodline

seems like a good

option for the english people they also

agree

to the english bill of rights which

basically settles all major issues

between the king and parliament

and it will serve as a model for the

united states bill of rights

it also formally kind of made this base

for civil liberties that then are going

to be expanded

upon within english history so what is

the english bill of rights addressing

well in terms of its main provisions the

king cannot suspend

the operation of laws hey you can't

disband parliament

the king could not interfere with the

ordinary course of justice

no taxation can be levied or a certain

standing army maintained in peacetime

without parliament's consent

freedom of speech in parliament needs to

happen

sessions of parliament would be held

frequently

not like you know being disbanded for 10

years

subjects had the right of bail petition

and freedom from ex's fines

and cruel and unusual punishment the

monarch also must be a protestant

we have the freedom from arbitrary

arrest censorship of the press

is going to be dropped and it is also

going to be putting in items for

religious toleration

with that james ii he is going to

kind of put up a fight um however he is

not going

to win this glorious revolution really

the only blood that was spilled

was when james ii found out that his

daughter

had betrayed him and that the revolution

was happening and he got a nosebleed

so yeah there is fighting going to be

happening though in ireland as james

goes to try to take that however william

of orange is going to go over there and

stop that now in terms of the english

throne

england now is really a limited monarchy

and it permits worship of all

protestants

but not necessarily 100 yet

with all catholics due to the toleration

act of 1689.

however they also put in various

stipulations that is eventually going to

also lead to king george the first of

the house of hanover coming to the

throne

why is that well we're going to have

some issues here william and mary

are not going to be having an heir and

on top of that

mary's sister anne who is going to be

crowned queen anne in 1665

also does not have an heir

now queen anne first is the one to use

the term united kingdom

she is bringing all the houses together

as one she also though was somebody like

her dad's daughter she was

pro-catholic now she does pass what i

had just kind of referred to the act of

union in 1707

where england and scotland were united

as a single state

and the kingdom of great britain is born

and eventually with her

using this phrase united kingdom we are

going to also have

ireland coming underneath the crown as

well

now anne is going to be the last of the

house of

stuart and she is going gonna be

succeeded by her second cousin

george the first of the house of hanover

who was a descendant of the stewards

through his maternal grandmother

elizabeth who was the daughter of james

the first so it's kind of going back

there

however with the house of hanover and

also just in the last years of queen

anne we are going to be seeing

some very dominant politicians coming

up and to the stage now in england so

for those of you

really jumping into english history you

now get to learn the kings and queens

and now along with that you get to learn

the prime ministers and also

those very well-known politicians that

just never

ever slept in the prime minister's house

now we're going to have the rise of sir

robert walpole

who dominated english politics from 1721

until 1742

based on his royal support now he has

the ability

to handle the house of commons and to

control

kind of the government's patronage he

promoted peace at home

and also abroad in an era where we are

going to be building up colonies

he spread trade from north america all

the way to

india underneath the british flag and he

built the military especially the navy

up making great britain a world power

you may remember if you listen to my

presentation on the dutch

they for a while had the largest navy

but

england is quickly quickly catching up

with whirlpool's efforts he also

helped england become a military

powerhouse

however also to be a place of religious

and political liberty so this has been

the lectures

on the house of stuart our next lecture

coming up

in the age of absolutism is going to be

focusing on france

and king louis xiv if you have any

questions or comments please leave them

down below

and thank you very much for listening

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bye