1653-78: Charles II

Question 1

line of arg

Answer 1

Charles’ policies and views (religion, foreign, financial) conflicted against that of his ministers and parliament, and in combination with his general lack of support to ministers and ability to undermine ministers (+play them against each other) made restoration more difficult and crown-parl relations were unstable.

Question 2

-ve of ChII (during Clarendon, 1660-67)

Answer 2

1. Charles’ marriage to Catherine of Braganza, 1662, she was unpopular due to her Catholicism- esp after her infertileness, Clarendon got the blame.
2. Dunkirk sold to France for £400,000 (+) good money but this was the final English possession since the Hundred Years War- controversial – it was seen as a valuable asset in terms of its strategic location, so it was unpop (ChII decision, Cl blamed).
3. Second Anglo-Dutch war, 1665-67: Clarendon tried to avoid this naval war against Dutch- Charles did it anyways- resulted in ‘Raid on the Medway’ which was one of the most humiliating defeats in British military history- this defeat also came at a heavy financial and psych cost. This led to a rebellious atmosphere thus ChII organised peace w/ Dutch through Treaty of Breda, 1667- giving Dutch a worldwide monopoly on nutmeg. Clarendon got blame.

Question 3

-ve of Charles (during Cabal 1667-74)

Answer 3

1. Charles often used their ideological opposition to his adv by playing them against each other- he believed this gave him the flexibility needed to pursue his own agenda. (e.g. Lauderdale absolutist view, Ashley Cooper parl ideal)
2. Treaty of Dover, 1670: Charles continued a pro-French fpol even with growing atmosphere of hostility to French + Catholics. This treaty stipulated that both England + France would attack Netherlands and share the spoils- this was pubic- but the secret clause was that Charles promised to declare himself a catholic in return for £225,000 a year from Louis XIV.
   - issue: this had potential to provoke rebellion against crown + showed monarch was opposed to CofE. Implied Charles attempting to eliminate need to call parl for money- absolutist.
3. Royal Declaration of Indulgence, 1672: all penal laws against dissenters and Catholics would be suspended – created MAJOR conflict: led parl to announce that no such power had been claimed by any previous English monarch and that only Parl held the constitutional right to suspend penal laws (ChII to blame)

Question 4

-ve of Charles (during Danby, 1774-78)

Answer 4

1. ChII spending increased- royal debt increased by £750,000 – this negated Danby’s financial achievements (from £840,000 to 1.4 mill by 1672)
2. Danby terminated war w/ Dutch Republic in 1674= good. BUT. Charles had instructed Ralph Montagu- royal ambassador in Paris- to get Louis XIV to pay England £300,000 over 3 years for England not to join the Dutch in a war in France. Issue: Danby was aware of this- when parl found out about this double-dealing, Danby fell from power.

Question 5

-ve of Charles (during emergence of court/country parties)

Answer 5

1. • Charles disloyalty (to ministers esp^) helped form opposition etc – and also exploited political divisions.
     —> ideologies were already present but Charles’ disloyalty formed/exacerbated parties

CONTEXT:
court ideals (Charles, members of cabal, Danby)– which also formed an opposing party, country (Coventry, Cavendish, Ashley-Cooper)

COURT: general toleration of dissenters and Catholics. Strengthening of ties w/ France. Parl could be manipulated via system of patronage from crown

COUNTRY: enforcement of rigid CofE. Defence of Protestantism at home + abroad. Opposition to Catholics + dissenters. Distrust govt- seen a corrupt and wasteful – want to defend parl priv against royal prerog.

Question 6

-ve of Charles: initial restoration

Answer 6

-vAfter initial restoration in 1660, charles returned theory of Divine Right and ‘touching for the King’s evil’ (god given powers)

• Restoration settlement left a bitter legacy- royalists felt ChII was “far too willing to forgive his enemies and forget his friends”

Question 7

+ve of Charles: initial restoration

Answer 7

1. Declaration of Breda, April 1660: Religious toleration guaranteed (-ve: under the vague “liberty to tender consciences” and the final details of restoration settlement to be determined by future parl- Cavalier Parl tried to introduce Anglicanism).
2. during cavalier (‘61-‘79) parl Charles was much more tolerant in religion + tried to modify some of the harsher legislation in favour of Catholics and dissenters-BUT led to ^ disharmony between crown-parl