4: The Establishment of Constitutional Monarchy, 1678-1702

Question 1

1) Who ‘discovered’ the Popish Plot and what was its significance? (2 points)

Answer 1

Titus Oates and Israel Tonge – it helped ignite anti-Catholic feeling in London and build support for Exclusion Bills

Question 2

2) Name three reasons why the King was able to defeat the Exclusion Crisis by 1681?

Answer 2

• Was able to continually prorogue parliament
• Issued moderate declaration explaining his reasons and refuting any absolutist intentions and had this read at pulpit
• Moved Parliament to Oxford in 1680 to remove Whigs from support base
• Linked Whiggism to the revolutionaries of 1640s
  Encouraged James and Monmouth to leave London

Question 3

3) How was Charles able to rule without Parliament 1681-1685, give three reasons?

Answer 3

• Did not called parliament
• Relied on customs duties and money from Louis XIV (£300,000 81-85) to finance govt. without parliament
• Purged Tories from town corporations using quo warranto proceedings
• Attacked Whigs following Rye House Plot
• Built Tory propaganda support base using Observator and Church pulpit

Question 4

4) Name three reasons why James II was in a strong position in 1685?

Answer 4

• Strong financial position
• Easily defeated Monmouth rebellion
• Strong Tory support base
• Parliament granted James funds

Question 5

5) Why did James dissolve parliament in 1685?

Answer 5

It began to resist his attempts to promote Catholics and get round the Test Acts

Question 6

6) Which edict did Louis XIV revoke in 1685 which heightened fears about Catholic absolutism?

Answer 6

Edict of Nantes

Question 7

7) How did James turn Tory loyalists against the Crown, give three reasons?

Answer 7

• Promoted Catholics to leadership in army
• Maintained large standing army
• Promoted Catholic officers in Ireland
• Dispensed with dissenting judges and supported his prerogative ‘dispensing’ powers in Godden vs. Hales
• Began to purge corporations of opponents
• Issued Declaration of Indulgence and imprisoned Bishops who refused to ‘preach’ it

Question 8

8) Which Earl did James promote to Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1685?

Answer 8

Tyrconnell

Question 9

9) Which major battle in 1690 ended James’ hopes of returning to rule and Catholic hopes?

Answer 9

Boyne

Question 10

10) At which battle of 1690 were the Jacobite Scots defeated?

Answer 10

Cromdale

Question 11

11) How have Whig historians argued that 1688 was a fundamental turning point in the development of
constitutional democracy?

Answer 11

• Different style of monarchy (no divine right)
• Bill of Rights passed in 1689
• Whig theory of ‘constitutional monarchy’ explicitly justified in Scotland where James ‘overthrown’
• Promoted as domestic ‘revolution’ against absolutist King

Question 12

12) How could the Whig interpretation be challenged?

Answer 12

• William arrived with 20,000 troops and an army (Dutch invasion), the King retained royal veto, strong
• Church retained, King continued to direct foreign pol
• The Tories claimed that James simply vacated the throne

Question 13

13) What was created as a result of the ‘financial revolution’ of 1694?

Answer 13

Creation of Bank of England and national debt (£18m by 1697)

Question 14

14) What was the cost of England’s involvement in the Nine Years War 1689-1697?

Answer 14

£36m

Question 15

15) What was Latitudinarianism and how did its growth (i.e. Archbishop of Canterbury Tillotson from 1691) reflect a
softening of attitudes toward dissenters?

Answer 15

A strain of Anglican thought more willing to debate with dissenting opinion

Question 16

16) What policies did the Tory ‘country’ opposition to the Whig Junto support in the 1690s?

Answer 16

Blue-water strategy (cheaper, naval warfare), lower taxes, stronger and more repressive Church

Question 17

17) Which Act debarred 57 Catholic heirs from the throne in 1701?

Answer 17

Act of Settlement

Question 18

18) What was ‘tacking’, give one example of its use?

Answer 18

The practice of parliament using their power to grant the King money and attaching other conditions to the grant of
money – i.e. 1694 Triennial Act

Question 19

19) Why did William use the royal veto against the ‘place bill’ of 1694 and what was parliament’s response?

Answer 19

He wanted to ensure that government officials could still sit in parliament, parliament were very critical of the
use of royal veto and later forced through Triennial Act and 1686 Treason Trial Act partly against King’s wishes

Question 20

20) Which Treaty of 1697 ended England’s participation in war with France for the rest of William’s reign?

Answer 20

Treaty of Ryswick